Salvation In Silence
by Above the Winter Moonlight
Summary: Very AU. Born mute, Luke Skywalker has always had a hard life. Labeled an outcast because of his inability to speak, he seeks to find a better life. But when a suitless Vader discovers his son is alive, he will stop at nothing to find him...R
1. Chapter One

**Salvation In Silence**

**Full Summary:** MASSIVELY AU, Born mute, Luke Skywalker has always had a hard life. Labeled an outcast because of his inability to speak, he seeks to find a better life. But when a suitless Vader discovers his son is alive, he will stop at nothing to find him. LV

**Genre:** family/drama/adventure

**Rating:** T for language, violence and safety

**Author's Note:** This is an AU plot bunny that came to me one day while I was in my English class. It takes place fifteen years after RotS, reviews are most appreciated and it is AU, the summary says why. (For those of you who don't know why, Vader was NEVER BURNED and Luke is mute). I haven't decided if this is going to replace "Far From Over" but hopefully I will be able to do this, FFO, Whispers of Daybreak and all my other stories. Here is the first chapter and I do hope you like it. And here is a key in case you get confused:

'_italics and one quotation'_ means words written down.

_Italics_ means thoughts and speaking to someone through the Force.

* * *

**Chapter One**

* * *

Being different is hard; Luke Skywalker knows this first hand, for whenever he tries to fit in, he is labeled an outcast for no one wants to be around someone who was different. Luke hated being different but he knew that he couldn't help it; the fact that he was born this way didn't help him because he knew there was no way he could reverse it.

Tatooine, a harsh, desert planet filled with course, rough sand was the place Luke has lived for several years of his life. He didn't have any parents; at least that's what his aunt and his uncle, Beru and Owen, would say. He knew he had to have parents because he knew someone had to have created him.

What he didn't and could never understand was what was wrong with him. He played like the other kids when he was younger, he liked to fly and would sometimes go out to Beggar's Canyon with his T-16 Skyhopper when he grew old enough to leave his aunt's watchful eye.

And yet everyone stared at him as though he were nothing but a nuisance to them and Luke didn't know why that was but he knew it had something to do with his disability.

He couldn't speak.

He had to learn to read and write, which wasn't that common on Tatooine, because there was no other way he could communicate with someone. His aunt and uncle didn't know how this came to be and Luke figured that was because there weren't that many medical places on Tatooine.

The only person, however, who saw past Luke's disability and was the only one that actually spoke to him was Biggs Darklighter. And that was the only reason Biggs's friends, Cammie and Fixer, as well as his other friends, would allow him to hang out with them when he wasn't helping his aunt and uncle. But Biggs was leaving soon, Luke knew that his friend would be joining the Imperial Academy as soon as he turned eighteen and that was only one year away.

Luke dreaded the day when his only friend would leave because then he would be left with no friends. What made it worse was Camie and Biggs's other friends would never let him hang out with them as soon as Biggs was gone. Luke didn't understand why people could be so cruel to him and call him stupid, like Biggs's friends do just because he couldn't speak.

He just wanted to fit in but he knew that would never happen. All his life, all he ever wanted, was to fit in, was to have friends but it has never happened. Biggs was his only true friend and, in one year that, Luke was sure, were going to fly by rapidly, he was going to be gone.

It was a hot day on Tatooine, which isn't unusual for the desert planet but Luke detested the heat almost as much as he detested the sand that surrounded his home. The vaporator that lay outside of his guardian's homestead was currently being fixed by his uncle Owen and Luke was watching.

"Luke, will you go get the hydro spanner from inside?" Owen asked glancing at him and Luke nodded before turning around and jogging away. He entered the house and his Aunt glanced at him.

"Hello Luke," she greeted him.

Luke dipped his head in reply before pointing to the hydro spanner that lay on the counter behind his Aunt. Beru's eyes clouded with sadness and pity that disappeared almost as rapidly as it appeared and she nodded before handing the hydro spanner to her nephew.

"Dinner will be ready soon," she said after she handed the hydro spanner to Luke. Luke tucked it under his arm before lifting up a pen and a data pad nearby before writing down, '_okay, I'll tell Uncle Owen_,' before he nodded and hurried out of the homestead.

After writing the message in his sloppy hand writing, he handed both the data pad and the hydro spanner to his uncle who nodded and took both of them. He read the data pad before saying, "okay, thank you, Luke."

Luke dipped his head in reply, that was the only way he could say thank you because he couldn't say anything. He didn't like that he was mute, that he could only get his point across by actions or by writing down what he has to say on a data pad. Though he has lived with being mute for fifteen years of his life, he still hasn't gotten used to the disability.

He stepped back as he watched his uncle continue to work on the vaporator. When he was finished, he nodded to Luke before walking past him and heading toward the homestead, Luke jogged after him.

"Good, you made it in time, dinner's ready," Beru said. She lead the way into the kitchen of the homestead and Luke narrowed his eyes before sitting down and Beru placed a plate of food in front of him. As usual, a data pad and a pen to write with sat beside the plate, just in case Luke wanted to tell his aunt and uncle something.

He ate slowly; his thoughts were elsewhere and he found himself thinking about Biggs again. _Biggs was leaving in one year and then I'll truly be all alone, except for my aunt and uncle,_ he thought as he continued to eat.

"The vaporator seems to be acting up again," Owen was saying when Luke tuned back into the conversation. "But that isn't what concerns me the most, have you heard the news on the holonet anytime soon?"

"Yes, this morning I did," Beru replied but she fell silent and Owen narrowed his eyes as he examined Luke. Luke finished eating before leaning back in his seat as Beru and Owen exchanged glances again.

"Luke, if you're finished, will you go to your room?" Owen asked turning his gaze to Luke. He frowned before picking up his data pad and writing '_why?_' on it before showing it to his Uncle.

"Because, Luke, I have to talk to your aunt," Owen replied his eyes narrowing slightly as though he were hoping Luke would understand. Luke nodded before getting to his feet and making his way out of the kitchen but, as soon as he entered his room, he pressed his ear to the door of his room.

"I never thought this would happen, does he know?" Owen's voice asked softly.

"I don't think so, Obi-Wan would know, I know that, but I don't think he knows about Luke," Beru's voice replied calmly.

_Who's he? And why are they worried about his person knowing about me?_ Luke wondered silently as he continued to listen in on the conversation. The one and only advantage of being mute was, so long as he was soft-footed, he could sneak into any part of his house without his guardians noticing him.

But he still hated being unable to speak; he has always wondered what his own voice sounded like but he knew he would never be able to hear it because of the fact that he couldn't speak. He shook his head to clear it before tuning back into the conversation.

"So long as that old hermit doesn't come around here then Luke should be fine," Owen was saying when Luke could make out his guardians' words through the thin door of his bedroom.

"I know but still, with him in orbit, it's going to be harder for us to be able to keep him from figuring it out. But as you said, so long as Obi-Wan doesn't come by, he should be all right," Beru said.

_What in the world are they talking about? And who is Obi-Wan? And was the old hermit Uncle Owen was talking Ben Kenobi, the man that lives out near Jundland Wastes?_ Luke wondered silently. So many questions swarmed in his brain and he knew he didn't have the answer to any of them.

He also knew that eavesdropping was wrong but he couldn't help it; he wanted to know what his guardians were keeping from him. He paused when he heard one word said by Beru that spiked his curiosity.

"He is too much like his father," Beru said quietly but still loud enough for Luke to hear, in spite of the fact that Beru didn't know he was listening. "I fear he is going to get himself into trouble. He does have his father's stubbornness and we both know he, like his father, doesn't like Tatooine."

Owen sighed. "I was afraid of that," he murmured.

_What's so wrong with me being like my father?_ Luke wondered; if he could, he would have asked them but, once again, he couldn't say anything and the only way that he could ask his aunt and uncle about his father is if he wrote it down.

"Luke will be all right, his father won't find him here, I'm sure he…" Beru began.

"Shush," Owen snapped causing Luke's aunt to fall silent but it was too late and surprise glittered in Luke's eyes. _My father won't find me here?" What did Aunt Beru mean by that? I thought my father was dead,_ Luke thought.

"What's the matter, Owen?" Beru asked curiously.

"I think Luke just overheard our conversation," Owen murmured almost too low for Luke to hear and Luke quickly hurried away from the door to his room and made his way to his bed. He sat down on it just as the door slid open and Beru and Owen walked into the room.

"Did you hear our conversation, Luke?" Owen asked narrowing his eyes.

Luke shook his head.

"Are you sure you didn't?"

Luke shook his head again.

"You see? I told you, I raised him better than to eavesdrop on other people's conversation," Beru replied calmly. She glanced at Luke. "Why don't you get some sleep, Luke? Maybe tomorrow, you can go with your friends."

Luke smiled slightly before nodding and Beru and Owen glanced at each other before walking out of the room and the door slid close behind them. Luke watched them go before lying down on his bed and closing his eyes and he slowly drifted off into a light sleep.

~*~

Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, paced in his meditation chambers, his cool, yellow flecked blue eyes narrowed as he gazed at the ground beneath his feet. They were currently in orbit above Tatooine but Vader could not figure out why his master had sent him to the planet he detested the most.

Palpatine suspected something; that was about as much as Vader could make out. He knew his master was suspecting a conspiracy against him but he didn't know who was behind it and Vader would like to keep it that way. If word got out about who was behind the beginning stages of the conspiracy, it would make his plan all the more harder.

Vader was only lucky that he had been able to escape the duel he had with Obi-Wan on Mustafar fifteen years earlier, almost unscathed, when his leg had been cut off because he knew Obi-Wan just didn't have the heart to deal the death blow. _As foolish as he'll always be,_ Vader thought with a small smirk as he continued to pace.

He glanced up as the door to his meditation chambers opened and Captain Piett, the captain of the _Executor_ who worked under Admiral Ozzel. Though they frequently changed between Vader's flagship and the Star Destroyer, the _Avenger,_ Vader found that they did their job well, when they weren't being idiots.

"My Lord?" Piett's voice sounded and Vader glanced up at him.

"Yes?" he asked coolly.

"My Lord, we have received an interesting report from the troopers we have stationed on Tatooine. It would appear that, for one, there seem to be more Tusken Raiders around than usual, and, for another, the slavery that was thought abolished is still going strong in some parts of the planet," Piett replied.

Vader grimaced; he knew the only reason he hated slavery was because he had been a slave himself for the first nine years of his life and his mother had been a slave as well…_Don't think about her,_ Vader told himself silently.

"Emperor Palpatine told us to come here to abolish the slave trade that is going on in certain sections of the planet. However, I am sure you will be able to find these place yourself, Captain," Vader said turning his gaze back to the ground beneath his feet as he continued to pace.

"Yes, my Lord. I will send a brigade down to deal with the slave trade in Mos Eisley, Mos Espa and the other key point cities of the slave trade," Piett replied a little hesitantly. A small, cruel smile graced Vader's features but he didn't reply; he knew the only reason Piett was afraid of him was because Vader angered easily and he usually took out his anger on the person nearest to him.

"You are dismissed," Vader said.

"Yes, my Lord," Piett replied saluting before hurrying out of the room. Vader watched him go with an almost amused smile on his facial features before he turned around and made his way into his communication chambers to report to his master.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Darth: why isn't Vader burned?**

**Blaze: in all of my Luke/Vader stories, Vader isn't burned because I absolutely HATE that scene in RotS and that is why I am making him not burned**

**Darth: the only reason you kept him not burned is because you are in loooovvvvveee with him**

**Blaze: well duh, he is my favorite character after all**

**Luke: strange**

**Blaze: hey! You aren't supposed to be able to talk in this story**

**Luke: its' not the story, is it?**

**Blaze: don't get smug with me**

**Luke: or what?**

**Blaze: (presses button on remote)**

**Luke: (gets put in a muzzle before tossed into a hole filled with piranhas)**

**Darth: (raises an eyebrow)**

**Blaze: what?**

**Darth: (sighs and walks off to Starbucks)**

**Blaze: (sighs) please review, I will post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can**

**Tigerstar: wow, I made it**

**Blaze: good, now you can give the last note**

**Tigerstar: ah come on**

**Blaze: (raises candy sword)**

**Tigerstar: (swallows) Blaze wanted to say that he decided if Luke is not going to be able to talk then he will have Vader not burned.**

**Blaze: you idiot! I'M NOT A BOY!!!!!!!!! (Throws him into a hole filled with piranhas)**

**Tigerstar: WHY ME?!!!!!!!!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Blaze: well, its' time for chapter 2**

**Darth: life, anyone want to join me at Starbucks?**

**Luke: I'm in**

**Blaze: you're not supposed to talk!**

**Luke: I want Starbucks**

**Blaze: you can whine another time**

**Luke: you're mean**

**Palpypie: hi**

**Luke: AHHHHH SCARFACE, DARTH, TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!!!!!!**

**Darth: let's go (picks up Luke in Mace's Mustang)**

**Mace: at least it wasn't Palpypie**

**Darth: why would I pick up Palpypie? I'll run him over instead (drives off)**

**Palpypie: that's mean**

**Mace: well, since Darth has my Mustang… (leaps on Vader's motorcycle and chases after Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: ahhhhh!! (Takes off running)**

**Vader: idiot Palpatine**

**Blaze: (laughs) here is chapter 2 and I hope you like it, reviews are appreciated, as always and this might be a short story, I'm not sure yet though.**

**Chapter Two**

Luke has always liked Biggs; he was a very interesting sixteen year old boy who enjoyed many of the same things that Luke did. Biggs liked flying and that was why he was joining the Imperial Academy and was hoping that he would be one of the ones flying the TIE fighters for the Empire.

Luke has never liked the Empire and he knew that his Aunt and Uncle didn't like the Empire either, that would certainly explain why they would either change the subject or ignore him when he asked them, through writing, about the Empire. Luke, after a while, gave up trying to get information out of them because they were just too good at keeping secrets.

This morning, just before Luke left to join Biggs and his friends at Anchorhead, he had asked his aunt and uncle if his father was still alive. That immediately revealed that he had been lying when he, through gestures, told them that he hadn't been listening in on their conversation. Owen was angry but Beru just told him to go run along and join his friends before throwing Owen a cautious glare that Luke didn't miss.

He frowned slightly as he made his way into Anchorhead. For being fifteen years old, he was small for his age, his frame was slender and thin. The only thing that he knew about his father was that he had the same hair color and the same eye color but that was all Beru would tell him about his father. Owen wouldn't say anything, no matter how many times Luke asked.

Anchorhead was unusually busy at this time of day and Luke frowned when he noticed men dressed in white armor with white helmets over their heads were patrolling the area. He jogged around a pair of them before entering the café where Biggs and the others were located. He jogged over to join them and Biggs glanced up.

"Hey Luke," he greeted him.

Luke nodded in reply and Camie and Fixer snorted, causing Luke to lowering his head slightly.

"What are you doing here, Stupid Wormie? I thought your guardians wouldn't let you out from underneath their eyes," Camie sneered.

"Shut up, Camie," Biggs snapped.

Fixer rolled his eyes. "Why do you bother hanging out with him? He's just a mental idiot after all," he snapped.

'_I can't help being born not able to speak,_' Luke wrote down before showing it to Fixer and Camie who both snorted.

"It bet it was your father's fault," Fixer sneered. "No wonder he's dead."

Anger surged through Luke's veins but before he could leap at Fixer, Biggs put himself between Luke and Fixer. "Calm down, Luke, he didn't mean it," Biggs said before turning his gaze to Fixer. "And Fix, why don't you just shut up?"

Fixer just snorted before sitting down and Biggs shot Luke an apologetic look before sitting down and Luke sat down beside him, Camie took a seat beside Fixer but refused to meet Luke's gaze, as usual.

"I can't wait to go the Imperial Academy in one year," Biggs said smiling.

'_It's still one year away. You're lucky you can get off this rock, my guardians won't let me go to the Academy,_' Luke wrote before placing the data pad in front of Biggs who blinked sympathetically at him.

"I know how much you want to get off of this planet but I'm sure you'll get there someday," Biggs told him.

'_Thanks,_' Luke wrote in reply.

Camie snorted. "I doubt you will be able to get off of Tatooine any time soon," she said, her lip curling slightly.

"I'm sure he will get off of this planet. He can fly and pilot almost anything so he could probably fly off of this planet if he had the ship to do it," Biggs pointed out narrowing his eyes before glancing at Fixer. "He did beat you in that race at Beggar's Canyon last year, Fix."

Fixer scowled in anger. "He got lucky," he muttered under his breath.

Luke rolled his eyes. '_You're just saying that because you hate to lose,_' he wrote down on the data pad before showing it to Fixer who snorted again.

"You may have beat me but at least I can speak," he retorted angrily.

"Fix! That wasn't nice!" Biggs snapped angrily as Luke lowered his head. He couldn't help being unable to talk. He has always wanted to have a better life but with his inability to speak, it made everything hard. He couldn't even order parts to help his uncle rebuild the vaporator because he couldn't ask the shop owners for them. Nonetheless he wouldn't be surprised if Fixer and Camie didn't like him even if he was able to speak.

_If only I could get off of this planet, maybe I would be able to find a better life,_ Luke thought.

"So? I don't like him so why should I be nice to him?" Fixer retorted with a sneer.

Biggs bit his lip and Luke could tell his friend was holding back a angry retort and he got to his feet. "Why don't we go out and get some air?" he suggested glancing at Luke.

'_Sure,_' Luke wrote before putting the data pad into his pocket and following Biggs as he led the way out of the café. Camie and Fixer watched them go before snorting and starting to talk to each other.

Biggs glanced at him. "Don't take Fixer and Camie seriously," he said.

Luke lowered his head before nodding slightly and following Biggs as his friend leading him deeper into Anchorhead. There were more white soldiers as they made their way deeper into the spaceport and Luke gazed at them curiously before glancing at Biggs. He gestured vaguely to the many soldiers that were walking around.

"Those are Stormtroopers, haven't you seen them before?" Biggs asked narrowing his eyes slightly.

Luke shook his head; living on the outskirts caused him to not know the many people that lived on Tatooine. His guardians were always protective of him and they hardly let him out of their sights, unless he was with Biggs. He glanced at Biggs before pulling out the data pad and writing '_where are we going?_' on it before showing it to his friend.

Biggs shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "Let's just walk this way, don't worry, your guardians made me promise I would watch out for you. The Lars are very overprotective, aren't they?"

'_Yes, they are,_' Luke wrote in reply. More Stormtroopers made their way into the spacesport and Luke saw his friend's eyes narrow.

"That's strange, I've never seen so many Stormtroopers around on Tatooine before. Then again, this is the first time I've seen more than two troopers on Tatooine at all," Biggs said.

'_I've never seen Stormtroopers before as it is,_' Luke wrote before showing the data pad to Biggs.

"I would be surprised if you had," Biggs replied. He came to a stop suddenly and his eyes narrowed slightly. Luke followed his gaze and saw Tusken Raiders positioned nearby, he glanced over his shoulder and he noticed that they had walked beyond the city limits.

'_How did we get this far without knowing it?_' he wrote on the pad and Biggs, after reading it, shook his head.

"I don't know," he admitted. "Just back away slowly and get back into the spaceport.

Luke started to back up but he bumped into someone and he whirled around, in time to find a Tusken standing behind him. The Tusken said something that Luke couldn't understand and Luke was startled when he sensed recognition in the Raider's voice.

"What are Tuskens doing so close to Anchorhead? They've never gotten this close before," Biggs said swearing out loud and Luke backed away nervously, his eyes wild with fear as the Tusken said something angrily and stalked toward him.

"They look as though they recognize you, have you meet up with them before?" Biggs asked.

Luke shook his head.

The Tusken said something in it's own language before swinging its' staff at Luke. It slammed hard into Luke's face and he was sent sprawling to the ground, unable to cry out in pain because he was unable to speak.

"Luke! Are you all right?" Biggs asked whirling around but one of the Tusken's staffs caught him in the side and he collapsed on the ground. Luke rolled away from the Tusken, his eyes wild with fear and suddenly, a blaster bolt flew at the Tusken, striking it in the chest and sent it sprawling to the ground.

"Luke!" Biggs shouted but another Tusken swung a staff at Biggs and Luke winced when he heard the sound of crunching bones. He scrambled to his feet before struggling away as Stormtroopers streamed into the area, their blasters firing at the Tuskens and driving them backwards.

"What do we do with the boys?" one of the troopers asked. Another of the troopers, Luke noticed, was kneeling beside Biggs.

"This boy is seriously injured and I have not seen an infirmary in this spaceport. I think we should take him back to the _Executor_," one of the Stormtroopers said.

"What about this boy?" the Stormtrooper asked walking over to stand beside Luke who was starting to panic.

"We'll take him back to his parents," the trooper decided before he turned his helmeted gaze to Luke. "Who are your parents?"

Luke stared at him; unable to reply. _Stupid disability,_ he thought.

"He asked you a question, boy," one of the Stormtroopers snapped. "We do not have time for this, boy, answer him."

Luke was panicking more; he couldn't reply and these Stormtroopers looked as though they were getting angrier. _But what did I do?_ the fifteen year old boy thought desperately.

"He's…mute," Biggs gasped out as Luke scrambled to his feet.

"What do you mean? He's mute?" the Stormtrooper asked.

"He…can't…talk," Biggs stammered out.

The Stormtrooper glanced at Biggs before turning his gaze to Luke. Luke gazed at him before stepping backwards, his eyes were narrowed slightly. "Do you know his parents?" the trooper asked turning his helmeted gaze to Biggs.

"His parents are dead but he's staying with the Lars family on the other side of Anchorhead," Biggs replied starting to get his breath back. Before the Stormtrooper could reply, Luke turned around and ran as fast as he possibly could away from the troopers.

_I don't need them to find my way home, I'll find them myself,_ Luke thought as he jogged away.

~*~

Obi-Wan Kenobi narrowed his eyes as slowly stretched out with the Force; he sensed that his former Padawan was here, in orbit around Tatooine but he felt Luke was still safe. Suddenly he felt a flash of panic coursing through his veins and he noticed it was from Luke. He stretched out with the Force and sensed the strangely familiar presence of Stormtroopers as well as Luke and then Luke's presence seemed to be moving rapidly as though he were running.

_What is he running from?_ Obi-Wan wondered silently as he got to his feet. He grabbed his cloak before throwing it over his shoulder and walking out of his hut. He lived a few miles away from Anchorhead but he could sense that Luke was running in the direction of the Jundland Wastes.

Obi-Wan slowly hid his presence in the Force; he knew if his former Padawan was indeed here then he would be able to sense his presence almost instantly. He could still sense slight pain coming from Luke and he turned in the direction the bright Force signature was coming from and made his way down from his hut.

He didn't know how long he had been traveling when he came to a stop at the edge of the wastes, in time to see Luke run over the sandy landscape. Luke was gazing over his shoulder that he wasn't watching were his was going and he ran straight into Obi-Wan, nearly knocking him down.

"Whoa, slow down, young one," Obi-Wan said putting his hands on Luke's shoulders and Luke gazed up at him with wide eyes. Recognition crossed his eyes and he blinked his eyes before pulling out a data pad and writing something quickly on it.

'_Ben_?' the data pad read.

"Yes, little one, don't worry, you're safe now, what happened?" Obi-Wan asked. He knew that Luke's disability, the fact that he couldn't speak, was taking a toll on him. He was struggling to fit in, to make friends and to live life as a teenager but his inability to speak was making it hard on him. Obi-Wan still didn't know what had caused Anakin's son to lose the ability to speak when he was born.

"Come on, we'll go back to my hut, it's getting late and we don't want you out after dark, especially if those Tuskens are getting closer to the settlements now," Obi-Wan said after he read Luke's report on what happened on the outskirts of Anchorhead. He put an arm across Luke's shoulders before gently guiding him to the hut he had at the edge of the Jundland Wastes.

~*~

Three days, three days they have been in orbit around Tatooine and Vader was starting to get impatient. He knew that Piett had sent the squadron of Stormtroopers to the surface and he had already reported to Palpatine about what he knew. But it seemed to him that they were taking too long to finish here. Vader assumed that was because he didn't like being so close to Tatooine; the planet that brought back so much bad memories.

He paced in his meditation chambers; his thoughts were on other matters. He didn't know why but he felt two Force presences on Tatooine. One of them was slightly familiar while another one was completely different and yet familiar at the same time. Vader narrowed his eyes as the door slide open and Piett hesitantly made his way into the meditation chambers.

"Yes, Captain?" he said turning his cold gaze to the Imperial.

"My Lord, some of the troopers have returned, they found this boy, seriously injured, but they could not find a medical infirmary on Tatooine so they brought him here," Piett said.

Vader snorted. "There are hardly any medical infirmaries on that dust ball," he muttered under his breath. "Who is this boy?" he added in a louder voice.

"He hasn't given his name yet, there was another boy with him but the boy fled before the troopers could take him back to his guardians," Piett added.

"Do you know the name of the other boy?"

"No, my Lord, I am sure the boy we brought to the MedBay will know, however," the captain replied.

"Very well, I will talk with him, what is the status of the campaign on Tatooine?" Vader asked, his blue eyes were narrowed again.

"Everything is progressing well, my Lord," Piett replied.

Vader nodded before dismissing Piett who nodded before heading out of the meditation chambers and Vader followed him before making his way to the MedBay. His medic, Eleena, glanced up at him as Vader made his way into the Medbay.

The boy on the medbed looked to be about sixteen years of age; his hair was dark and his eyes were glittering with pain. Eleena walked to the boy's side before examining his body and turning her gaze to Vader. "What can I do for you, my Lord?" she asked.

The boy glanced up, his eyes widening with shock as Vader made his way to Eleena's side. "L…Lord Vader?" he stammered out.

Vader glanced at Eleena. "I came to speak with the boy," he replied.

"He is recuperating rapidly but I don't think he should speak that much," Eleena said before shrinking back as Vader glared at him. "I mean, his wounds are severe, the Tusken who attacked him broke several of his ribs."

_Tuskens!_ Vader thought, drawing his lips back into a feral like snarl that caused the boy to shrink back. "They are known to be ruthless, heartless beings," he said coolly. "I will not be long."

Eleena nodded before walking out of the medbay and the boy struggled to sit up. "What can I do for you, my Lord? And thank you," he said.

"For what?" Vader asked raising an eyebrow.

"For allowing me to come onboard your ship," the boy replied.

Vader shrugged though he knew that it was the Stormtroopers who had brought the boy back that he should be thanking. "What is your name, boy?" he asked.

"Biggs, Biggs Darklighter…ah, my Lord," the boy replied, he was a bit hesitant and fear glittered in his eyes as though he were afraid he had said the wrong thing.

"Who was the boy that was with you?" Vader asked.

"Luke? Where is he?" Biggs asked the worry was clear in his voice.

"His name is Luke?"

"Yes, my Lord, what happened to him?" Biggs asked.

"The Stormtrooper that found you said the boy that was with you ran off before they could take him back to his guardians," Vader replied.

Biggs sighed. "The Lars are probably a worried wreck," he murmured.

Vader stiffened, his eyes narrowing as anger began to crawl across his gaze. "Lars?" he echoed.

"Yes, my Lord, Luke's guardians are the Lars family."

"Who are his parents?"

"I don't know," Biggs admitted. "His guardians never told him anything about his parents. I think they died before he was born."

Vader narrowed his eyes even more; suspicion started to crawl through him. _It's probably nothing, maybe Owen and Beru took in some orphaned child,_ he told himself.

"I think his guardians were keeping something from Luke though," Biggs admitted. "I really shouldn't be talking about this without his permission, because its' a tender subject to him."

"I see," Vader replied before asking, "what is the boy's last name?" _Why did I just ask that?_ Vader asked himself silently, feeling a bit shocked that he had asked that question without even knowing why.

"Skywalker, his last name is Skywalker," Biggs replied.

"What?!" Vader exclaimed, anger surging through his veins and Biggs instantly shrank backwards, his eyes going wide but he took a deep breath as if to erase the fear that had arisen in him.

Vader turned around before stalking out of the medbay, if he could he would have slammed the door behind him. He made his way into he meditation chambers before placing his hands on the back of the chair where he usually sat to meditate. _Skywalker? Luke Skywalker? How is that possible?_ he thought._ Palpatine said my child, no Anakin's child, died when he was born. Did he lie? Is my son really alive?_

"My Lord?" Piett's voice sounded and Vader turned around before glaring at Piett who prudently took a step back.

"What?" he hissed angrily.

"The troopers we sent down to the surface of Tatooine, my Lord, have informed me that they have stopped the slave trade and are awaiting further orders," Piett replied saluting.

Vader was silent for a long moment; his mind was working rapidly. He didn't know why but he had to figure out if the boy Darklighter was talking about is truly his son. "Send a few stormtroopers to a homestead on the outskirts of Anchorhead. There is a boy there, hopefully, I would say he is about fifteen years of age. He is believed to be living with a family known as the Lars. Find him and bring him to me and under no circumstances is he to be harmed in any way," he ordered.

"Yes sir," Piett replied though he looked confused as he made his way out of Vader's meditation chambers.

In all truth, Vader was just as confused as Piett was by his sudden decision and by the fact that he didn't want the troopers to harm the boy.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: wow, I didn't expect this chapter to be that long**

**Darth: (drinking a cappuccino) I liked it**

**Luke: mmmmfmfmfmfmfmffmf**

**Blaze: what was that?**

**Luke: mmmfmfmfmfmfmfmfmmfmfmfm!**

**Blaze: oh yeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh (takes off Luke's muzzle)**

**Luke: God, I couldn't breathe in that thing**

**Blaze: you're….not….supposed…..to……talk!**

**Luke: ah bleh**

**Tigerstar: when's the next chapter coming out?**

**Blaze: next week**

**Tigerstar: you **_**will**_** post**_** the**_** next**_** chapter**_** now!**

**Blaze: you **_**will**_** practice**_** your **_**Jedi**_** mind**_** trick!**

**Darth: (laughs)**

**Luke: (laughs)**

**Tigerstar: that's mean**

**Blaze: please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	3. Chapter Three

**Blaze: yay! Time for chapter 3**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: where's Palpypie?**

**Darth: in London running from the werewolves, Jack the Reaper, Dracula and his clan, Boba Fett and Chewbacca**

**Blaze: poor Palpypie**

**Luke: hi**

**Blaze: for god's sake, you're not supposed to talk!!!!!!!!**

**Luke: fine!**

**Blaze: (sighs) here is chapter 3 and I hope you like it**

**Chapter Three**

Luke gazed around old Ben's hut as he walked deeper into the hut before he turned his gaze to Ben. He picked up the data pad before quickly writing, '_what am I doing here?_' Ben took the data pad before reading it and handing it back to the fifteen year old boy.

"It's not safe for you to be outside after dark, did Owen and Beru Lars not tell you about the Tusken Raiders that usually attacked at night?" Ben asked curiously.

Luke nodded once.

"Well, I think it would be best if you stayed here and I'll drive you back to your Uncle and Aunt's house tomorrow morning," Ben said, he gestured to the seat beside him. "Please, take a seat, you don't have to stand there."

Luke nodded before taking a seat and Ben walked into the kitchen of his hut before coming back with a bowl in his hands. He handed the bowl to Luke who took it and gazed at the food in the bowl curiously. He glanced at Ben quizzically and the older man shrugged. "It's stew, it's good, I assure you," he said.

Luke nodded before taking a sip of the stew; he liked it and he soon finished the entire bowl within a couple of minutes. He placed the bowl on the ground before picking up the data pad. '_That was very good, thank you_,' he wrote onto the pad before holding it out to Ben who took it.

"You are welcome, young Luke," he replied.

Luke gazed at Ben for a long moment before taking the data pad from Ben. '_Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were talking about an Obi-Wan Kenobi, is he a relative of yours?_' he wrote onto the data pad.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Ben echoed after he read the data pad Luke had handed to him. "I haven't heard that name in a long time, long before you were born."

'_So you know him?_' Luke wrote onto the pad.

"Of course I know him, he's me," Ben replied after he read the message Luke had put on the pad.

'_You're Obi-Wan?_' Luke wrote.

"Yes, I am," Ben replied after he read the message.

Luke hesitated, narrowing his eyes as he took the data pad back from Ben before he wrote, '_Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru were talking about someone who wouldn't find me if you stayed away from me. And then they mentioned that so long so you stay away, my father won't find me, do you know what they meant?_'

Ben hesitated after he read the message. "I don't know for sure what your guardians meant, young Luke," he said handing the data pad back to Luke who took it but before he could write another message, Ben got to his feet. "I think its' safe to give you this now, your father wanted you to have it when you were old enough but your uncle wouldn't allow it," he added.

'_You knew my father? Is he really alive?_' Luke wrote on the pad before showing it to Ben.

Ben hesitated. "From a certain point of view," he said finally before kneeling down beside a chest and opening it up. Luke watched as he picked up a cylindrical handle out of it before walking back to join him. Luke still didn't understand what Ben meant by 'from a certain point of view.' _What could that statement have meant?_ He wondered silently. as Ben handed him the cylindrical handle.

"This is your father's lightsaber, the weapon of a Jedi Knight from a more civilized time," Ben said and Luke hesitantly took the lightsaber before pressing the activation button; the blade was a remarkable blue color that glowed in the dim light of the hut.

Luke swung the lightsaber around and stared in amazement as the lightsaber hummed in the silence of the hut. He deactivated the lightsaber before placing it beside him as he sat down on a bench. He picked up the data pad. '_Who was my father?_' he wrote onto the data pad.

"He was a great pilot and a good friend," Ben replied calmly.

'_What was his name?_' Luke wrote onto the data pad and Ben hesitated again when he read the question Luke had written down.

"His name was Anakin Skywalker," he said finally after a long moment of silence had entered the hut.

Luke narrowed his eyes slightly before picking up the lightsaber and igniting it again; a _snap-hiss _echoed in the silence of the dim-lit hut and Luke swung the lightsaber, gazing in amazement as it hummed in the air.

"Your Uncle and Aunt didn't want me to train you but I thought you would like to learn the ways of the Force," Ben said.

'_But what about my guardians? They are going to be worried about me,_' Luke wrote down in protest.

Ben sighed. "I'm sure your guardians will be all right," he replied.

Luke narrowed his eyes before activating the lightsaber that had belonged to his father and it hummed in the air. He glanced at Ben as he deactivated the lightsaber and clipped it to his belt, '_What's the Force?_' he wrote down finally after several moments of silence.

"It's everything around you, it makes up all living things," Ben replied after he read the data pad Luke had shown to him. "People, back during the time before the Empire, that were strong in the Force were trained as Jedi."

'_What are Jedi?_' Luke wrote down feeling a bit confused.

Ben hesitated after he read the message on the data pad. "Its' a person that uses the Force for good, your father was a Jedi," he said softly.

'_What happened to him? And what do you mean by 'from a certain point of view'?'_ Luke wrote down.

Ben sighed. "Some people may view him as alive while others will consider him dead. It is awfully complicated to explain," he replied.

'_Is my father alive or not?_' Luke wrote down swiftly narrowing his eyes slightly.

Ben looked away before gazing out of the window at the stars that glittered outside of the hut. Luke waited for an answer but before he could say anything, he blinked his eyes as a sleepy look crossed his eyes. Ben glanced at him. "Why don't you get some sleep? I'll take you back to your guardian's house tomorrow morning," he said.

Luke narrowed his eyes before nodding and getting to his feet, he gazed around before throwing Ben a confused look. Ben pointed to a part of the hut where a cot was placed. "You may sleep there if you want," he said. Luke nodded. '_Thanks,_' he wrote down onto the data pad before walking to the cot. He lied down on it before closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep.

~*~

Obi-Wan watched as the boy Luke fell asleep and he smiled slightly. He got to his feet before picking up a thermal blanket and putting it over Luke's body. Though it was almost always hot on Tatooine, it still got cold in Obi-Wan's hut and he knew that was because he was higher in the air than the people in the settlements of Mos Eisley, Mos Espa, Anchorhead and the other places.

He let out a long sigh before walking out of the hut and gazing up at the starlit sky above his head. He knew his former Padawan was somewhere above the planet but he could not figure out where. He just hoped that Anakin, no Vader, didn't know about Luke. He sat down outside of his hut before narrowing his eyes as he scanned the Jundland Wastes and Dune Sea in front of him. He crossed his legs together before slowly drifting into a meditative trance.

A disturbance in the Force pulled Obi-Wan out of his trance and he sat up sharply before gazing around and stretching out with the Force. He realized that the disturbance had come from within the hut and he got to his feet before walking back into the hut. Luke was literally thrashing in his sleep though, because of his inability to sleep, he couldn't scream in fear.

Obi-Wan hurried to Luke's side before gently shaking the boy. "Luke? Luke! Wake up!" he said softly.

Luke's eyes fluttered open and he gazed around before looking up at Obi-Wan and the former Jedi Knight was startled when a flash of anger crossed Luke's blue gaze. It faded away almost instantly and Luke picked up the data pad.

'_I had a dream,_' he wrote down onto the pad as if in response to the look Obi-Wan was giving him. Obi-Wan blinked slightly; he knew that Anakin, when he was his Padawan, had had dreams and they ended up being visions and Obi-Wan sure hoped that Luke didn't inherit that same gift.

"What was it about young one?" he asked softly.

Luke hesitated before writing something swiftly down onto the data pad and Obi-Wan noticed that the dream must have either been long or vivid because it took Luke about five minutes to finish writing the message. He held it out to Obi-Wan and he took the data pad, forcing himself not to gasp in surprise when he read about the dream.

'_I was on this volcanic like planet and I saw these two people fighting with those lightsaber things and then the older one of them leapt onto a charred hill while the younger of the two stayed on the platform that was floating on the river of lava. I heard the older men tell the younger man not to try it because he had the high ground. The younger man's exact words were "you underestimate my power" and then he leapt. The older man sliced off his leg but the younger man managed to roll to the point that he wouldn't roll down the hill. The older man then yelled, "you were the Chosen One, it was said you would destroy the Sith, not join them, bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness." The younger man kept trying to get up and his eyes were this scary yellow color and he shouted, "I hate you," at the older man. The older man's lightsaber was still ignited and he shouted, "you were my brother, Anakin, I loved you." I knew that the older man wanted to strike the younger man down but, for some reason, he didn't. He just took the younger man's lightsaber and walked off,_' the data pad read.

Obi-Wan winced. _Why did he dream about my duel with Anakin on Mustafar?_ He wondered silently. "I'm sure it was just a dream, Luke," he said out loud.

'_Who were those two people? I knew one of them was Anakin but who was the older man? The one that cut off my father's leg,_' Luke wrote down.

"Why do you say the younger man is your father?" Obi-Wan asked.

'_Because his name is Anakin and, in spite of the yellow eyes, he still looked almost exactly like me,_' Luke wrote down onto the pad.

Obi-Wan looked away. "It's a long story," he murmured. "But I will not lie to you and…" he broke off when he felt another great disturbance in the Force. He sensed Stormtrooper making their way to the Lars homestead and he almost instantly sensed what their intent was.

"Stay here, Luke, if I'm not back in one hour, take what money you can find and get off of Tatooine," he ordered.

Luke, startled by the sudden statement, stared at him. '_Why?_' he wrote down.

"Just do it for me, please, Luke. If I don't come back, get off of Tatooine as soon as you possibly can. Find a transport, stowaway on ship, anything, just get off of Tatooine," Obi-Wan replied a bit rapidly.

Luke hesitated. '_What about you? And how am I supposed to ask for a transport? I can't talk_,' he wrote down quickly.

"Use the data pad, I'm telling you Luke, you have to get off of Tatooine if I don't come back but stay here for at least an hour before you go," Obi-Wan replied, the disturbance struck him again and he realized that if he didn't hurry, he would run out of time.

'_All right, Ben,_' Luke wrote down before placing the data pad onto the side table and watching as Obi-Wan nodded a goodbye to him before he got to his feet and hurried out of the hut.

He leapt into his speeder before flying as rapidly as he possibly could in the direction of the Lars homestead but he knew he could only hope he got there in time.

~*~

Beru narrowed her eyes slightly as the squadron of Stormtroopers walked toward the homestead and she glanced at Owen. "What are Stormtroopers doing here?" she asked.

"I don't know, the good thing is Luke isn't back from Anchorhead yet so that must not be why they are here. That tells me that Vader doesn't know about Luke yet," Owen said softly. He got to his feet before walking out of the homestead and Beru, hesitantly, followed him.

The Stormtroopers came to a stop in front of them. "Are you the Lars family?" One of the troopers demanded.

"Yes, I am Owen Lars, what can I do for you?" Owen asked keeping his voice neutral though Beru could sense the fear that was starting to rise inside of her husband.

"We are looking for a boy that our Lord told us would be at this homestead, we don't know the name but we know that he is at least fifteen years of age," the Stormtrooper replied calmly.

"There is no such boy here," Owen replied struggling to keep the fear out of his voice.

"Our Lord says that there is a boy here and we know he would not lie to us, where is the boy?" the Stormtrooper demanded pulling out his blaster and pointing it at Owen who's calm exterior was starting to fade away.

"We don't know what you are talking about," Beru protested, she knew that part of her answer was true because she didn't know where Luke was and she hoped that the boy was all right. For being fifteen years old, he was very impatient and reckless, just like his father.

"Where is the boy?" the Stormtrooper demanded.

"We already told you, we don't know," Owen replied.

Beru's fear was starting to get to her and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself down before her fear flew anew. She knew if her fear was revealed, the Stormtroopers would know instantly that they are lying when they say they don't know where the boy is. Either that or they will think that Beru and Owen really are afraid of the Stormtroopers.

As if on cue, a speeder flew up toward the homestead, so rapidly that the Stormtroopers had to leap out of the way to keep from getting hit by the speeder. The familiar figure of Obi-Wan Kenobi leapt out of the speeder before walking calmly over to join the Lars family as if he didn't notice the troopers he nearly ran over.

"Who are you?" a Stormtrooper demanded.

"The names Ben," Obi-Wan replied calmly. "Why, may I ask, are you here?"

"We are looking for a fifteen year old boy that was said to be living in this area," another Stormtrooper replied.

"As far as I know, there's no boy here, I've been living in this area for several years of my life and I've never seen a boy living with the Lars family," Obi-Wan replied.

Beru and Owen exchanged quick glances that the Stormtroopers missed before glancing at Obi-Wan who shot them a 'play along' look.

"Our lord would not lie to us, there is a boy here, where is he?" the Stormtrooper demanded angrily.

"Your Lord? Maybe your lord was misinformed," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

The Stormtrooper glared at them before the rest of the squadron pointed their blasters at them. "Tell us where the boy is," one of them demanded.

Obi-Wan glanced up at the sky and Beru noticed more than five hours had gone by since Luke had gone to Anchorhead and she glanced at the former Jedi as Obi-Wan glanced down. "He's far away from here by now," he replied with a small smile that caused the Stormtroopers to snarl angrily.

"Ben!" Owen snapped, his eyes filling with fear.

"Relax, Owen," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

"Where did the boy go?" the Stormtrooper demanded.

Obi-Wan shrugged. "How should I know?" he replied calmly.

"We will just take you back to our Lord and he will get the information he requires from you," the Stormtrooper snapped.

Obi-Wan moved swiftly before igniting his lightsaber and leapt at the troopers who snarled, "Jedi, kill him!" and began shooting blaster bolts at the former Jedi but Obi-Wan skillfully blocked them.

"Get to the speeder!" he shouted to Beru and Owen who gazed at each other before running around the troopers and climbed into the speeder. Obi-Wan sent one blaster bolt flying back at the trooper who shot it before he leapt into the speeder, started it up and sped as rapidly as he possibly could from the homestead.

~*~

Luke gazed around the spaceport known as Mos Eisley; he didn't remember exactly how he had gotten here but when the hour had come up and Ben still wasn't back yet, he started walking. It was a good thing it was still daytime by the time Luke reached the spaceport but he had to hope he'll be able to find someone to carry him off of this planet before it grew dark.

He walked down the streets of Mos Eisley before gazing curiously at the Stormtroopers that were patrolling around. He knew that Jedi were enemies to the Empire in the Stormtroopers' eyes so that was why he hid his father's lightsaber as he made his way deeper into the spaceport.

He stopped when a creature came to stand in front of him; the creature was furry with a crossbow over his shoulder. Beside him was a man that looked to be about eighteen years of age with hazel eyes and brown here.

"Hey, kid, what are ya doing out here by yourself?" the man asked curiously.

Luke gazed at him curiously before pulling out his data pad. '_I need a transport off of this planet_,' he wrote down before showing it to the man.

The man frowned after he read the message. "What's the matter with ya?" he asked. The creature growled and the man glanced at him. "What do ya mean he can't talk?" The creature growled again and the man turned to look at Luke. "Can ya talk?"

Luke shook his head.

"Odd, the name's Han Solo, by the way, and this is my co-pilot Chewbacca," the man said gesturing to the large furry creature that stood at his side.

'_I'm Luke Skywalker, what is Chewbacca?_' Luke wrote onto the data pad.

Han read it before chuckling. "I take it you've never seen a Wookie before," he said and Luke nodded in reply. _So that's a wookie, strange, I've never seen a wookie before, _he thought. '_Can you give me a lift off of Tatooine?_' he wrote down onto the data pad.

"Maybe, do ya have any money? And where are you parents?" Han asked curiously.

Luke shook his head before he handed Han the money he had found in Ben's hut; the money came out to a total of five thousand credits and Luke was a bit astonished to find that Ben had that much money.

"Five thousand? Just to get off of this planet? Where are ya planning on going?" Han asked curiously.

'_I don't know, I don't know where to go,_' Luke wrote down onto the data pad.

Han frowned after he read it. "Well, I guess ya could come with us until we discovery what to do with ya," he said. He handed the data pad to Luke. "Come on, we're just about to leave Tatooine so you can come with us."

Luke nodded before he jogged after Han as the older man led the way toward a docking bay that lay nearby. Han stopped when they reached the docking bay and Luke narrowed his eyes as he examined the ship that was in front of him. He glanced at Han. '_What a piece of junk,_' he wrote onto the data pad before showing it to Han.

"Kid, this ship can make it .5 past light speed," Han retorted handing the data pad back. He jogged into the ship and Luke hesitated before following him with Chewbacca just behind him. When Luke got into the ship and the door closed behind the wookie, Han made his way into the cockpit of the ship.

'_Where are we going? And what's this ship called?_' Luke wrote onto the data pad before showing it to Han.

"I don't know where we're going right now and the ship's called the _Millennium Falcon_," Han replied after he read the data pad. He glanced at the control panel of his ship. "We're going to have to be careful, there's an Imperial Super Star Destroyer in orbit and we don't want to get caught by them."

Luke nodded and Han sat down in the pilot's seat while Chewbacca sat down in the co-pilot seat. He hesitated and Han glanced at him. "Come on, Kid, take a seat and strap yourself in," he said.

Luke nodded before sitting down behind Han and the eighteen-year-old man started the _Falcon_ up. The ship rose into the air before taking off into the stars, leaving Tatooine behind, whether or not forever, Luke wasn't so sure.

~*~

Darth Vader paced in his meditation chambers, as he usually did whenever he was deep in thought. He couldn't help but wonder if the boy known as Luke Skywalker really was his son, no Anakin's son, and for some reason he was actually anticipating learning if it were true or not.

The door to his meditation chambers opened and Piett walked into it before stopping as he waited for Vader to speak. "What is it, Captain?" Vader demanded.

"A space freighter left the docking bay at Mos Eisley a few minutes ago, we aren't that sure but we have reason to believe the boy you are looking for is on that ship, my Lord. Also we have the squadron of Stormtroopers trying to catch the Lars family for we believe that a Jedi is with them," Piett reported.

"A Jedi?!" Vader echoed anger in his voice. _I thought I had destroyed all the Jedi, aside from the Jedi Younglings at the Jedi Temple,_ he thought.

"Yes, we also have reason to believe that this Jedi is Obi-Wan Kenobi but we aren't so sure," Piett replied.

"Capture them, all three of them, and bring them to the _Executor_. Do not harm them any more than necessary," Vader ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," Piett replied saluting before he turned around and hurried out of the meditation chambers. Vader watched him go before starting to pace again. _So we shall meet again, my old master,_ he thought with a small smirk on his face.

Only a few moments passed by before Piett walked back into the chambers. "We've got the Jedi and the Lars family, my Lord," Piett reported. "We managed to catch them before they reached Anchorhead and they are being transported to the _Executor _as we speak."

"Kenobi is becoming all the more foolish if he wasn't able to outrun a squadron of Stormtroopers," Vader mused as he continued to pace. "When they are here, take all three of them to the detention center and I will speak with them soon."

"And what of the freighter that is getting ready to leave the system?"

Vader reached out with the Force and he almost instantly felt the bright Force presence he had felt on Tatooine just before the presence disappeared. "Where is that freighter heading?" he asked.

Piett narrowed his eyes. "When we last checked, they were heading toward the Zhar system," he said

"Put in the coordinates to the Zhar system and find that ship," Vader ordered.

"Yes my Lord," Piett replied before he made his way out of the chambers and Vader went back to pacing.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: wow! An eight page long chapter!**

**Darth: I'm going to go put DX on the Death Star**

**Palpypie: stay away from my Death Star!**

**Vader: (standing in line at Starbucks)**

**Darth: (starts painting DX on Death Star) don't forget about me**

**Vader: fine**

**Palpypie: forget the damn coffee and stop him, Lord Vader**

**Vader: why? I'm on break, you made me miss my Spongebob**

**Palpypie: what?**

**Blaze: weird (Disclaimer: I don't own the idea of Vader watching Spongebob, I'm not sure who does but whoever does, I give them full credit)**

**Palpypie: how dare you call me weird, you witch?! I should fry you where you stand!!**

**Blaze: what?! (Brings out nuclear bomb, tosses Palpypie onto a random asteroid and tosses nuclear bomb at the asteroid)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: NOT AGAIN!**

**Vader: (hands a cappuccino to Darth) just stay away from my **_**Executor**_

**Darth: (finishes painting DX on the Death Star and takes cappuccino) thank you, I'll take care of the **_**Executor**_** next week**

**Vader: ah come on!**

**Blaze: (laughs) whoops, long author's note, please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon, maybe next week.**


	4. Chapter Four

**Blaze: yay! I had a chance to finally do chapter 4**

**Darth: it's about ime**

**Blaze: oh shut up**

**Darth: make me**

**Blaze: (tosses Darth into a chocolate cream pie)**

**Darth: mmm pie**

**Palpypie: can I have some?**

**A bunch of random people: no**

**Palpypie: why not?**

**Blaze, Obi-Wan, Anakin, Vader, Grievous, Dooku, Padmé, Leia, Han, the stranger, Percy, Poseidon, Annabeth, Grover, Artemis, Athena, Zeus, Tigerstar, Feathertail, Ashfur, Hollyleaf, that crazy woman from around the corner, Aragon, Gimli, Sauron, Luke, Thalia, Sally, the cat from upstate, Kronos, George Washington, FDR, JFK, the Executive Cabinet, Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-shek, the bunny, Lucky, Tigger, Eragon, Murtagh, Brom, Galbycakes, Voldymuffin, and the Klingon: because we don't like you**

**Palpypie: that's mean**

**Blaze: and that's not nearly as many people that are mentioned in the first chapter of EON**

**Darth: why did you start typing that story?**

**Blaze: I got bored, here's chapter 4 and I hope you like it**

**Chapter Four**

"This is not good," Obi-Wan murmured as the Stormtroopers escorted him, Beru and Owen to the detention center onboard the _Executor_.

"It was your fault, didn't you know the troopers were following us?" Owen demanded angrily.

"I honestly did not think there would be Stormtroopers stationed at the spaceport where we were heading," Obi-Wan protested. "It wasn't my fault."

"But what about Luke?"

"He got off the planet, I told him that if I didn't come back in an hour for him to take what money he could find and get off the planet. I know it will be a bit hard for him but it is better than him being in Vader's clutches," Obi-Wan replied.

The Stormtroopers roughly tossed Obi-Wan, Beru and Owen into the detention center before the door slide closed behind them. Obi-Wan shifted into a cross-legged position and Beru and Owen sat across from him with fear in their eyes.

"What if he finds Luke?" Beru whimpered.

"I'm sure Luke will be fine, Beru," Obi-Wan said softly.

"Does Vader know its' you?"

"If the Stormtroopers reported me as Ben Kenobi, he could put two and two together but then again…" Obi-Wan shrugged. He knew that Vader knew that he was here but he wasn't about to admit that to Beru and Owen because he did not want to scare them.

"We should have stayed on Tatooine," Owen murmured.

"They would have killed you. How would I have explained to Luke if you two got killed?" Obi-Wan asked raising an eyebrow.

Beru lowered her head. "He's right, you know, Owen," she murmured.

Obi-Wan nodded before glancing up with slightly narrowed eyes as the door slide open and none other than Darth Vader, himself, stepped into the room. Though fifteen years had passed by since Obi-Wan had last seen Vader, the cool yellow flecked blue gaze still took him by surprise and he knew it was hard to believe this man had been the same, nine-year-old boy that had won the Bontha Eve Pod Race.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, honestly, I would have thought my old master would have been able to escape a few Stormtroopers," Vader said in a cool, sarcastic voice.

"We were caught by surprise," Obi-Wan retorted.

"You? Caught by surprise? It's a no wonder you were brought to me so soon," Vader commented before he turned his cool, yellow-blue gaze to Beru and Owen. Owen met Vader's cool gaze but Beru paled and quickly averted her gaze.

"Owen Lars, I honestly did not expect you to be here," Vader commented. "And Beru, neither did I expect you to be here."

"We have done nothing wrong, my Lord," Beru said.

"You are wrong," Vader snapped angrily. "You have been harboring a Force sensitive, I know, I sensed him."

Obi-Wan forced himself not to wince. Vader knew about Luke but Obi-Wan knew that his former Padawan did not know who, exactly, Luke was or even his name.

"W…We didn't know he was Force sensitive," Owen said but Obi-Wan heard his voice shake and, judging by the cold gleam of anger in Vader's eyes, Vader noticed it as well.

"You have been harboring a traitor to the Empire, I would be in my right mind to kill you now but I will not. I want to know who this boy is," Vader demanded.

Beru and Owen quickly looked away and Obi-Wan found himself holding his breath. _He doesn't know, he doesn't know,_ he told himself silently.

"Who is this boy?" Vader demanded angrily and Beru shrank away. Obi-Wan could feel the dark side flying off of the dark Lord so rapidly that it very nearly toppled him over.

"Who…is…this…boy?" Vader demanded again in a slower voice. "If you do not tell me, I will get the answer I require one way or another."

Obi-Wan knew that Vader was talking about the torture method that the Empire had started fifteen years ago. "You wouldn't harm them, would you, Anakin?" he asked softly.

Vader turned to glare at him. "My name is Vader!" he snapped angrily before adding, "And you would do well to keep out of business that does not concern you."

"This business concerns me as much as it concerns you," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

"I know where this Force sensitive is going, I will find him," Vader snapped but Obi-Wan noticed that he did not say he was going to kill him. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, he knew that Palpatine had ordered that Vader kill every Force sensitive and yet he was not going to kill Luke.

Then it hit him so swiftly that Obi-Wan found himself blinking rapidly. He knew! He had to know or else he wouldn't have said he was just going to find him. _But how did he find out?_ He wondered silently.

"We won't tell you who the boy is," Beru declared.

A cruel smirk crossed Vader's facial features before he glanced over his shoulder. "You two are dismissed," he ordered ad the soldiers saluted before walking quickly away and Vader returned his gaze to Beru and Owen.

"Of course you won't tell me who the boy is," he said coolly. "Because I already know." Anger crawled through Vader's veins and Obi-Wan noticed immediately that it was directed at him. "I knew from the moment Darklighter mentioned Luke's name."

"Darklighter? Biggs? Why would he do that?" Beru protested.

"Maybe he felt I deserved to know the truth," Vader said coolly.

"Or you threatened to kill him," Owen muttered and Obi-Wan watched as Owen was suddenly tossed to the other end of the cell. Beru cried out before quickly making her way to her husband's side and Obi-Wan returned his gaze to Vader.

"In truth, Darklighter told me because I was curious as to who the other boy the Stormtroopers had mentioned was," Vader replied coolly before he turned his gaze to Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan saw his eyes gleaming pure yellow as he hissed, "how dare you? How dare you keep him from me all these years?"

"I wasn't keeping him from you, Anakin…" Obi-Wan began.

"My name is Vader!" Vader snarled, his eyes flaring yellow fire but Obi-Wan noticed instantly that the anger wasn't directed at him, at least all of it wasn't and he had a feeling he knew who the rest of his anger was directed at.

"Palpatine never told you Padmé survived long enough to give birth, did he?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Obi-Wan! What are you doing?" Beru cried.

"Shut up, Beru," Owen moaned and Obi-Wan watched as Owen sat up, rubbing his head and muttering something that sounded like curses in Huttese.

Vader snarled in anger. "I should kill you now, Obi-Wan," he hissed.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "You have always been hotheaded and rash," he said and when Vader looked as though he were about to reply, Obi-Wan asked, "And how do you plan on explaining all of this to a fifteen year old boy?" He did his best to keep Luke's disability a secret, he knew that the only way Vader would ever find out is if he caught Luke and Obi-Wan had to hope that wouldn't happen.

Vader snarled in fury and Obi-Wan almost instantly felt his throat constrict as Vader stretched out a hand.

"Anakin, stop! Luke trusts Obi-Wan, if you kill him, you'll never get your son!" Beru shouted.

Vader suddenly stiffened and Obi-Wan saw his eyes go wide with shock. "W…What?" he demanded and Obi-Wan realized Vader didn't know that Luke was his son. From the look that was in Vader's eyes, he had only suspected that the boy was his son.

"Luke's your son," Obi-Wan gasped out. "I know, I was there."

Vader snarled at him before tossing him roughly to the ground. "How could he lie to me?" he hissed angrily and Obi-Wan knew he was talking about Palpatine. Vader started pacing the detention center, muttering curses in Huttese under his breath.

"What do you mean he trusts Obi-Wan?" Vader demanded after he got his cursing under control.

"He only trusts Obi-Wan, he hardly even trusts me and he doesn't trust Owen at all. It's because of his disability, Obi-Wan is the only one that treats him as though he were just like everyone else," Beru said.

Vader narrowed his eyes and Obi-Wan glared at Beru, attempting to tell her that she wasn't supposed to tell him about Luke's disability. "Disability? What disability?" he demanded.

Beru shook her head. "I won't tell you, if you find your son, ask him yourself," she snapped.

Vader snorted. "We know where the boy is heading so I will do just that. But know this, Beru, I do not tolerate having secrets kept from me. The only reason you three are still alive is because Luke will only trust you three," he hissed and with that, he turned around before stalking out of the cell and the door slide close behind him.

~*~

'_Where are we going?_' Luke wrote down onto the data pad before showing it to Han as the pilot of the _Millennium Falcon_ slowly made its' way through the hyperspace lanes.

"Well, we were in a bit of a hurry to get away from Tatooine so Chewie, here, put in the coordinates for the Zhar system so I guess there," Han replied with as shrug.

'_What's the Zhar system?_' Luke wrote down before showing it to the eighteen year old boy.

"It's a system near Tatooine on the Outer Rim. Please stop doing that, Luke, we are about to exit hyperspace and I need to keep my eyes ahead of me," Han said.

Luke hesitated but nodded and put the data pad down beside him before gazing as the starlines disappeared and a big, brown planet rose up in front of them. He pointed to the planet and Han nodded. "That's Zhar, there's a spaceport nearby and it will do for us to stop and refuel. We'll figure out where to take you after we refuel."

Luke nodded and watched as Han gently guided the _Falcon_ toward the planet.

"Unidentified vessel, state your intentions and remain at altitude," a voice over the intercom sounded vaguely like the voice of the Stormtroopers Luke had met on Tatooine.

"We are just looking to refuel," Han replied calmly.

"Please hold." For a long moment only silence existed in the cockpit and Luke began to wonder if they would be allowed to land until the voice of the Stormtrooper came back on. "You may land in docking bay 64," and then the transmission was cut off.

Luke watched as Han landed the _Falcon_ on the docking bay and followed the pilot as Han led the way out of ship with Chewbacca bringing up the rear of the group. Zhar was a barren, isolated planet with only a few trees lying scattered nearby.

'_This place is so barren,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad.

Chewbacca growled in agreement and Han nodded as a Stormtrooper walked toward them. "Who are you?" the trooper demanded.

"My name is Al Lyvan and I am only looking to refuel my ship," Han replied. Luke gazed quizzically at Han but the pilot ignored his looks and Chewbacca jabbed him in the side as if to warn him not to point out anything. Luke threw Chewbacca a look that the wookie hopefully got as '_I can't speak, how am I supposed to point out anything_?' Chewbacca had the decency to look sheepish and he growled an apology.

"Very well, you do have credits with you, do you not?"

"We have some," Han replied handing over a few credits that Luke didn't' notice he had.

"Very well, we will refuel your ship so come on inside," the Stormtrooper said and Luke watched as three more troopers surrounded them before guiding them into the spaceport.

Another Stormtrooper suddenly ran up. "Urgent message, commander, it would appear Lord Vader has entered the system and he has demanded to know about a certain boy," the trooper said.

Luke looked away before glancing at Han with fear-filled look in his eyes. Han put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure its' not about ya kid," he murmured but, judging by the look in Han's eyes, he didn't believe himself any more than Luke did.

"That looks like the boy Lord Vader described," the Stormtrooper that had first spoken to them said gesturing to Luke.

"What is your name, boy?" the trooper who had just joined them demanded.

Luke stared at him.

"I asked you a question, boy."

"Leave the kid alone, he can't talk," Han snapped angrily.

The trooper exchanged a glance with the trooper that had been guiding them. "He's mute? Odd, tell us your name, boy," he said turning his gaze to Luke. "Or we will shot your friends." As if to emphasis their declaration, the troopers pulled out their blasters and pointed them at Han and Chewbacca.

Luke gazed at his friends with fear in his eyes and he suddenly remembered that his father's lightsaber was still hanging at his belt. Ben had given it to him just before he had left and Luke had remembered grabbing it just before he had left to go to Mos Eisley. He started to reach for the lightsaber but the trooper, as if noticing that, pointed the blaster at Luke.

"Try it, boy," he demanded.

"Stop! Lord Vader specifically mentioned that the boy is not to be harmed in any way," the trooper that had delivered the message protested.

"We do not even know if this boy is the one Lord Vader is looking for because he will not tell us his name," the trooper snapped.

Luke pulled his hand away from the lightsaber before pulling out the data pad and quickly wrote down, '_My name's Luke Skywalker_,' before showing it to the Stormtroopers.

"This is the boy Lord Vader wants," the trooper said after he read the message on the data pad. "Come with me, boy."

"The boy ain't going with ya," Han declared.

"This is none of your business, the boy is coming with us," the trooper snapped.

'_I do have a name you know,_' Luke wrote down angrily onto the pad before showing it to the trooper.

"Lord Vader is waiting for you," the trooper said. "Come with us and we'll allow your friends to live."

'_If they don't go, I won't go,_' Luke wrote down quickly.

The troopers glanced at each other before shrugging and Luke watched as the three Stormtroopers that had been escorting them circled Han and Chewbacca. Luke started toward his friends as the troopers placed cuffs over their arms and he gazed at the troopers in shock.

"They will come with us but Lord Vader is only interested in you, they will join your friends in the detention center," the trooper who had brought the message declared.

Luke gazed at Han and Chewbacca who were struggling and he began to struggle as well. The trooper scowled angrily before grabbing Luke's arms a bit roughly and Luke glared at the troopers as they escorted him, Han and Chewbacca away.

~*~

Darth Vader narrowed his eyes as he paced on the bridge of the _Executor_ and examined the brown planet of Zhar below him. He didn't glance up as Captian Piett walked over to join him. "My Lord?" Piett said.

"What is it?" Vader demanded.

"The boy you have been expecting is here, his two companions have been sent to the detention center to join the Jedi and the Lars family," Piett said.

"Where is the boy?"

"The Medbay."

"Was he harmed?"

"Not by much, he was struggling and the trooper might have accidentally bruised him," Piett said.

Vader snarled angrily and Piett wisely took a step back. "I told them not to harm the boy in any way," he hissed. He brushed passed Piett before stalking down the hallway and headed toward the location of the boy that was his son.

When he arrived at the medbay, he noticed a boy of about fifteen years of age was sitting next to Darklighter's bed with a worried look in his eyes. The trooper at the entrance to the Medbay glanced up.

"My Lord, we brought the boy here after Sergeant Nyva bruised him," the trooper said a bit hesitantly.

"Where is Nyva now?"

"The detention center, you said the boy was not to be harmed so I personally escorted him, as well as the captain and the wookie that were with the boy to the center," the trooper said.

Vader nodded sharply before he brushed past the trooper and made his way into the Medbay. Darklighter glanced up. "My Lord," he greeted him, his voice shook a bit and Vader noticed his dark eyes were glittering with fear.

"Darklighter, this must be the boy you were talking about," Vader said.

The boy gazed at him with fear in his eyes before looking at Darklighter. Darklighter smiled encouragingly at Luke. "Don't worry, Luke," he murmured.

Luke turned to gaze at Vader with fear in his eyes and Vader noticed he was clutching a data pad in his hands. He quickly wrote something onto the data pad before holding it out to Vader who narrowed his eyes before taking it.

'_My Uncle told me about you,_' the data pad read.

"What's the matter with him?" Vader asked handing the data pad back to Luke who scowled before writing something quickly down and holding it out to Vader to see.

'_I am right here, after all,_' the data pad read.

"He's mute," Darklighter replied.

"Mute?"

"He cannot speak," Darklighter replied.

'_Once again I am right here,_' Luke wrote down onto the pad and Vader let out a long sigh.

"I know that, young one," Vader said to Luke.

'_Then why are you talking as though I'm not here?_' Luke wrote down onto the pad before showing it to Vader.

Vader sighed. _This was going to be a long day,_ he thought. "Come with me, young one," he said.

'_What about Ben and Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen? And what about Han and Chewbacca and Biggs?_' Luke wrote down onto the pad.

"They are well, young one."

'_Stop calling me young one and I want to see one of them,_' Luke wrote and Vader had to bite his lip to keep from sighing. _Apparently Obi-Wan was right, Luke doesn't trust anyone but the people I currently have in my detention center,_ he thought.

"Very well, I will let you speak with one of them, in my chambers, however," Vader replied.

Luke hesitated. '_I want to see Ben_,' he wrote onto the data pad.

Vader sighed. _Once again, my former master is right, _he thought. "Very well, come with me," he ordered.

Darklighter sat up. "I'm sure you'll be all right, Luke, go on," he said.

_Smart boy,_ Vader thought extending a hand and Luke hesitated but took it and followed Vader as he led the way out of the Medbay and down the hallway toward his chambers.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: a seven page chapter, cool**

**Darth: lunch time!**

**Blaze: weirdo**

**Darth: Lucky's playing poker**

**Blaze: candy!**

**Darth: no**

**Blaze: CANDY! (Goes off to buy a bunch of candy)**

**Darth: don't max out your credit card**

**Blaze: I'm using Palpypie's**

**Darth: oh okay, that's cool then**

**Palpypie: why do you guess hate me so?**

**Blaze: (stabs Palpypie with her candy sword before shooting him with her candy bow and arrow)**

**Palpypie: ow! (Takes off running)**

**Blaze: (laughs) that was chapter 4 and I hope you liked it, please review and I will post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can.**


	5. Chapter Five

**Poseidon: okay, what am I doing here?**

**Percy: what am I doing here?**

**Vader: I think Blaze wanted you two to start the chapter**

**Poseidon: but we aren't even in this story**

**Vader: well, it's not like I know why, she just told me to help you start the chapter**

**Percy: I'm confused**

**Poseidon: don't feel bad, so am I**

**Luke: weird**

**Percy: it says here in this note (reads note out loud) to Luke: YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK**

**Poseidon: (also reading from note) to Vader: YOU MAY NOT KILL PALPYPIE UNTIL THE END OF THE CHAPTER**

**Luke: fine (closes mouth)**

**Vader: (puts away tank) fine**

**Percy: oh, here's what we're supposed to say now, here's chapter 5**

**Poseidon: and Blaze hopes that you like it oh and Nyar is an OC character**

**Chapter Five**

Emperor Palpatine narrowed his eyes as he examined the sky above his head in the throne room of the Imperial Palace. The neon and fluorescent lights made the night sky above his head look more like day and the sound of air taxis and speeders flying through the Coruscanti airways also added to the effect.

Palpatine narrowed his eyes even more. He had felt something, a disturbance in the Force and he could not seem to pinpoint the source of the disturbance. He had a feeling, however, that it had something to do with Vader. He narrowed his eyes even more before turning around in his seat as an aide walked into the throne room.

"Your Majesty, the Moffs have gathered, as you requested," the aide said.

"Very well, what about the Senators I asked to meet us here?"

"They are gathered as well, some Senators, such as the Senator of Alderaan, did not show up however," the aide replied.

Palpatine narrowed his eyes. "Very well," he said before he got to his feet and walked down from the throne before making his way out of the throne room. He couldn't help but think about the disturbance he had felt in the Force and once again he felt as though it as centered around Vader.

Senator Jar-Jar Binks of Naboo was there as well as Senator Nyva of Bakura and many other senators but Palpatine noticed the young senator of Alderaan, Princess Leia, was no where in sight. Though he knew that Leia was only fifteen years old, she was a practical and very stubborn senator that reminded the Emperor of the late Senator Amidala. There was also a striking resemblance between the two.

Palpatine entered the conference room and Moff Tarkin the moff that was currently overseeing the completion of Palpatine's ultimate space station stood up. "Hello your Majesty," Tarkin greeted him though his eyes were narrowed and Palpatine figured he was wondering where Vader was.

"Moff Tarkin," Palpatine replied coolly as he made his way to head of the table. "I have called you here because, for one, I want to know the status of the Death Star."

Tarkin cleared his throat. "The work is progressing quickly and it will be complete in about three years time," he said.

"Three years?" another of the moff protested. "That is far too long, that space station must be complete now." "Peace, Moff Nyar, we have to make sure the station is powerful and we cannot have the station falling out of the sky now can we?" Palpatine asked his cool yellow gaze causing Nyar to stiffen and pale when he locked gazes with the Emperor.

"I cannot say if the Death Star will be as powerful as you expect it to be, we will have to test it when the station is complete," Tarkin replied.

"Good," Palpatine replied with a small cool smile but he couldn't help but think about the slight disturbance he had felt. _When the meeting is over, I shall contact Lord Vader,_ Palpatine decided silently as he continued to listen to the moffs.

~*~

Obi-Wan glanced up as the Stormtrooper walked into the cell. "Jedi, come with me," the trooper said.

Obi-Wan sighed before getting to his feet and walking out of the cell. Beru and Owen quickly got up, as did the newcomers Han and Chewbacca, but the trooper glared at them. "Just the Jedi," the trooper said angrily before he took Obi-Wan's arms and led him away from the cell.

Obi-Wan was just far away to hear Han mutter, "Of course it has to be the Jedi and not us," before he was pulled out of earshot of the den.

Obi-Wan walked onward as the Stormtrooper led him away from the detention center, down the hallway and passed the Medbay. Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as Vader came out of a nearby room that lay close to a yawning gap in the ship, which he figured led to the Star Destroyer's bridge..

"You are dismissed," Vader said with a slight wave of his hand and the trooper saluted before walking away. Vader held out a hand and Obi-Wan watched as his lightsaber, which he still had with him and had completely forgotten about, floated into Vader's hand.

"Come, the boy wants to see you," Vader said before he led the way into the room and Obi-Wan hesitated only a split second before he followed his former Padawan into the room. Luke glanced up before smiling and hurrying over to Obi-Wan, past Vader, and threw his arms around him.

"How are you doing?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke nodded once before pulling out his data pad and writing something onto it before showing it to Obi-Wan. '_I'm doing good_,' the data pad read.

Obi-Wan nodded. "That's good," he said.

Vader snorted and Obi-Wan glanced at him before looking at Luke who shrank closer to him and gazed at Vader with fear-filled blue eyes. "Do not worry, Luke, I'm sure Lord Vader will be nice," Obi-Wan said softly.

The warning beneath his words, however, was, _be nice or Luke will be more frightened of you than ever_, and Vader snorted but nodded once as if he understood what Obi-Wan was trying to tell him.

'_I don't like this place,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad. '_It feels so dark, it reminds me of my dream._'

Obi-Wan winced at the reminder of Luke's dream when he had seen exactly what had happened at Mustafar fifteen years ago. "Do not worry, Luke, everything will be all right," he said softly.

'_Where's Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen? And what about Chewbacca and Han?_' Luke wrote down onto the pad.

"Your Aunt Beru is worried about you but they're here however," Obi-Wan replied.

Luke lowered his head. '_They are all right though?_' he wrote down onto the data pad before showing it to Obi-Wan.

"Yes, they are all right, young one," Obi-Wan replied.

Vader narrowed his yellow-flecked blue eyes. "Take a seat, we have much to discuss," he said coolly.

Luke shrank closer to Obi-Wan who put an arm around the boy's shoulders before guiding him to the black couch that lay across from the chair where Vader was sitting.

"First of all, I want to know how long Luke has had his disability?" Vader asked looking at Obi-Wan.

Luke glared at Vader and Obi-Wan sighed before tightening his grip on Luke's shoulders. "Luke does not like it when people call his inability to speak a disability," he said. "And he has had it his entire life, from the moment he had been born."

Luke glared at Vader again but when Vader locked gazes with the boy, Luke looked away, fear crossing his electric blue gaze. Luke glanced at Obi-Wan. '_I don't like this place,_' he wrote onto the pad again.

Obi-Wan sighed. "I know you don't, Luke, and I would take you from here but Lord Vader will not have that, I know that," he said.

"You are correct, you and the boy are not leaving," Vader said coolly.

Luke shrank closer to Obi-Wan before gazing at Vader with narrowed eyes. '_Who are you exactly? My uncle didn't tell me much about you. He always said that you were evil and that you killed people,_' he wrote onto the pad before showing it to Vader.

Vader scowled angrily and Luke shrank away from him again before he glanced at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan locked gazes with Vader as if to tell him 'if you want to tell him the truth, I cannot stop you.'

"What has your guardians told you about your father?" Vader asked again softly.

Luke gazed at him, his eyes wide for a long moment and he took the pad from Vader before starting to write in it. Obi-Wan glanced over Luke's shoulder and narrowed his eyes when he saw what Luke was writing.

'_They told me that my father was dead and that he was the captain on a space freighter_,' the data pad read.

Vader narrowed his eyes after he read the data pad that Luke had handed him. "Your father isn't dead," he said softly and Obi-Wan was startled by the sudden change in Vader's voice. He has not heard the softness in Vader's voice in such a long time that it was startling him.

'_You knew my father?_' Luke wrote onto the pad.

"Of course I knew your father, very well in fact," Vader replied.

'_Who is he? And why did you say that he wasn't dead?_' Luke wrote onto the pad.

Vader opened his mouth to reply but the door suddenly slide open and an Imperial walked into the room. "My Lord?" the Imperial said saluting.

"What is it, Admiral?" Vader demanded and Obi-Wan could almost hear the exasperated tone in Vader's voice.

"My Lord, we are currently entering the Geonosis system," the Admiral said a slight bit of fear in his voice.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "How did we enter the Geonosis system when we were just at Zhar?" he asked.

"I do not know, sir, where do you want me to do, my Lord?" the Admiral asked.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "Nothing as of now, I have to contact the Emperor right now," he said.

"Very well, my Lord," the Admiral replied and he walked out of the room. The door slide close behind him and Vader turned his gaze to Luke who was examining him curiously.

'_Who is my father?_' he wrote down onto the data pad.

Vader, after he read it, sighed. "You are going to figure out the truth sooner or later," he murmured. He gazed at Luke for a long moment before saying, in a soft voice, "Luke I am your father."

~*~

Luke's eyes shot wide with shock and for a long moment he could hardly hold on to the data pad in his hands. Vader was his father?! _That's impossible, _he thought but as he examined the dark blonde haired man with yellow flecked blue eyes, it reminded him of the man he had seen in his dream. The man he knew was his father in the dream he had had only a few days ago while he had still been on Tatooine.

He gazed at Ben who nodded somberly. "What he says is true," he said softly.

Luke gazed at Vader as the man continued to examine him and wait for his reply. Luke picked up the data pad. '_You're my father?_' he wrote down before showing it to Vader.

"Yes I am," Vader replied after reading the data pad.

'_But…where have you been? Why didn't you come to get me off of that dust ball known as Tatooine?_' Luke wrote down before handing it to Vader his eyes narrowing.

"I did not know you were alive, Luke," Vader replied softly. "Your birth was kept from me, by many people," he glared at Ben as he said those last words and Luke felt Ben flinch beside him.

"Anakin, I did not keep him from you, I kept him from Palpatine," Ben replied.

"My name is _Vader!_" Vader snapped angrily.

Ben sighed and Luke gazed between them. '_I take it you two know each other,_' he wrote down onto the data pad.

"More than you will ever know," Ben replied.

Vader snorted before looking at Luke. "Believe me, Luke, if I had known you were alive, you wouldn't have had to be raised on that dust ball," he said softly.

'_You know about Tatooine?_' Luke wrote down onto the data pad.

Vader nodded. "Indeed I did, I lived on Tatooine for some part of my life," he replied and Luke could hear the pain and the anguish in his voice as though he was reliving some past experience.

Luke got to his feet before walking over to his father and putting arm around Vader's waist and hugging him, just happy to know that his father was alive. Vader stiffened in his arms but he slowly relaxed and Luke felt him put his arm around his shoulders.

Luke gazed up at his father and saw a soft gleam in Vader's yellow flecked blue eyes. He glanced at Ben and saw a smile was slowly crossing his facial features. He gazed at Vader before starting to reach for his data pad but Vader placed a hand on his outstretched hand.

_You have no need for that when you are speaking with me,_ a voice sounded in Luke's mind and he gazed around rapidly until he realized the voice was coming from his father.

He stared at his father with wide eyes and a small smile crossed Vader's features, almost softening his cool facial features. _You can speak with me through the Force, just think what you wish to say to me and I will hear it,_ Vader's voice sounded in his mind again.

_L…Like this?_ Luke asked silently.

_Yes, exactly like that,_ Vader replied silently in the vaults of Luke's mind.

Luke gazed up at his father before looking at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan smiled slightly before nodding and Luke turned his gaze back to his father before smiling when he saw him before he blinked his sleepy eyes.

Vader smiled. "You look tired," he said. "Come, I will take you to your room."

Luke nodded before following Vader as he led him toward the adjacent room. The room was composed of a simple bed and a side table. Luke gazed up at Vader who nodded and he walked over to the bed before lying down on it. He closed his eyes and it wasn't long before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

~*~

Vader examined the sleeping form of the boy he knew was his son and another small smile crossed his facial features. He was lucky that no one, other than Obi-Wan, had seen the smile on his face because he was sure to either deny it or kill the person who mentioned he saw it.

Vader gazed at Luke's sleeping form again, the boy was small for his age and very slender, his figure reminded Vader of…reminded him of his wife. Vader shook his head violently. _Don't think about her,_ he told himself silently as he walked out of the room and Obi-Wan glanced up at him.

"Maybe I was wrong about your last words, Padmé," Obi-Wan murmured almost too low for Vader to hear but the dark lord, having heard Obi-Wan's last statement, scowled at him.

"Luke likes you and that is the only reason that I am keeping you alive," Vader said coolly. "I want you to watch over him and do not let him out of that room while I speak to the Emperor. Palpatine must not know about Luke, no matter what."

Obi-Wan nodded somberly but Vader saw a brief flash of triumph in Obi-Wan's eyes but it faded away almost as quickly as it appeared and Vader began to wonder if he had seen it at all.

He walked out of the room before heading toward the communication chambers and walking into the room. He, realizing Palpatine was contacting him, knelt down on the transmission grate before lowering his head just as the flickering image of Palpatine appeared before him.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" Vader said keeping his head lower though he was struggling to keep his anger at bay.

"Lord Vader, I have sensed something, it was like a brief flicker of a disturbance in the Force and I have felt it near where you are currently location," Palpatine said in a cool voice.

Vader lowered his head again. _He cannot find out about Luke, he just cannot,_ he thought shielding his thoughts. "I have felt it as well," he replied.

Palpatine's eyes narrowed even more. "You are hiding something, Lord Vader," he said coolly.

Vader had to force himself not to wince as Palpatine went on in a cool voice, "You know the source of this disturbance do you not?" he demanded.

Vader lowered his head again. "I have come across it, the disturbance comes from a boy," he murmured. He knew that Palpatine did not know who the boy was and Vader was doing his best to keep it that way.

"A boy?" Palpatine echoed sounding shocked.

"Yes, a boy of no more than fifteen standard years of age. He is powerful in the Force, I have felt it," Vader replied.

"Indeed, I had felt the power that was only matched by that of Anakin Skywalker but I did not think it would be coming from a mere boy," the Emperor demanded.

Vader remained silent.

"I also believe that, since this boy has power only matched by Skywalker, he is the son of Skywalker," Palpatine said.

Vader forced himself not to wince and Palpatine glared at him.

"You knew this already did you not?" he demanded.

Vader, knowing that Palpatine already knew the truth, sighed. "Yes, I did, I only learned it a few moments ago but yes I knew," he replied.

"Then why is it that the boy is still alive?" Palpatine demanded. "The son of Skywalker must not become a Jedi."

"He is but a boy, master, and he has had no training whatsoever, Kenobi never had the chance to train him, I have a feeling it's because his guardians did not let him," Vader replied.

"Nonetheless, Lord Vader, he is a danger to us," the Emperor said coolly.

"If he could be turned he would be a most powerful ally," Vader said keeping his head lowered.

"That is true, can it be done?"

"He will join us or die," Vader replied.

Palpatine nodded sharply before his holographic image disappeared and Vader stood up sharply. He walked out of the communication chamber before making his way back into his meditation chambers. Obi-Wan glanced up at him as Vader made his way deeper into the room.

"I would be in my right mind to kill you now," Vader said coolly.

"Why?" Obi-Wan asked calmly. "Because Palpatine ordered you to kill every Jedi you came across. Or are you still blaming me for your mistake on Mustafar?"

Vader snarled angrily before stretching out a hand and Obi-Wan instantly grabbed his throat as Vader began to choke him. "You were responsible for what happened," he hissed.

"No you were, it was your fault," Obi-Wan gasped out. "I told you twice before and I'll say it again, your anger and your lust for power turned Padmé against you."

Vader snarled in fury but the sound of the door opening stopped him and he glanced up sharply, just in time to see Luke's small form standing in the doorway. Luke stared at him with huge, fear-filled eyes and, before Vader could say anything, he slipped back into his room and the door slammed shut behind him.

Vader could almost instantly feel the shock and the fear that Luke was projecting and Obi-Wan, though his throat was still constricting, managed a small smile. "Looks like you aren't making a good impression on your son," he gasped out.

Vader snarled at him before tossing Obi-Wan to the ground, Obi-Wan sat up before rubbing his throat. "We were both lucky that he did not see what happened at Mustafar, now are we?" he asked.

"Shut up, Obi-Wan," Vader snapped angrily starting to pace back and forth. He knew that Luke witnessing what he had nearly done to Obi-Wan had scared the living daylights out of him. He glanced at Obi-Wan before walking past him and making his way to Luke's room.

"Luke?" he called inside before using the Force to open the door and Luke glanced up sharply at him before shrinking away from him, his eyes glittering with fear.

_Get away from me,_ Luke thought and Vader could hear his thought in the vault of his mind.

"Luke, I know what you saw was not something you normally witness everyday but you must understand that your Ben and I do not like each other," he said out loud.

_That doesn't give you right to kill him, he's my friend,_ Luke protested silently, he shrank away from Vader as he walked deeper into the room before waving his hand and closing the door behind him.

"I will not harm you, Son," Vader said softly sitting at the edge of the bed. "Obi-Wan just got me mad and I tend to immediately lash out with my anger."

_But why? Why would you use your anger like that? It's wrong,_ Luke protested silently.

Vader sighed. "I don't know," he admitted. He knew there were times when he would lash out with his anger, like that time when he was on Cato Neimodia and then there was the time on Geonosis, on Praestilyn and so many other places that it seemed to come naturally to him.

Luke gazed at him before slowly moving to his side and putting his arm around Vader's waist. Vader hesitated before putting his arm around Luke's shoulders and the fifteen year old boy seemed to relax slightly.

_To be angry is to be human,_ he said silently.

Vader winced, remembering the time when Padmé had told him that after he slaughtered the Tusken Raiders on Tatooine prior to the Battle of Geonosis and the Clone Wars.

"I know," he murmured in reply.

Luke gazed at the wall at the other end of the room. _It's hard trying to fit in when you're different,_ he said silently. _Did you have a hard time fitting in because of the fact that you take out your anger on everything?_

"Some places, yes," Vader replied.

_Well, I feel out of place everywhere I go because I can't speak. I only have one friend and that's Biggs, all his friends call me mentally stupid, or just plain stupid, and they don't realize how much that hurts me, especially when they blame you or my mother for my inability to speak. It hurts to know that there are so many cruel people out in the world, people who cannot see past your flaws and only see you for what you do and not what you truly are,_ Luke said silently. _I can't speak but that doesn't make me any more different than the others. I played like the other kids when I was younger but everyone still saw me as nothing more than a nuisance._

Vader felt pity rise up in him, he didn't know how hard his son had it. His son was labeled an outcast only because he didn't know how to speak. Everyone treated him differently just because he was mute and Vader couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had known about Luke when he had been born.

_If he could be turned then he would be a most powerful ally._

_That's true, can it be done?_

_He will join us or die._

_Why did I say that? Why would I want to turn my own son? What would he get other than heartbreak and pain? I do not want to put my own son through what I have gone through,_ Vader thought. For the first time in the last fifteen years, Vader felt love course through his veins, love that forced him to think about what harm his actions could cause to his son.

His son. Padmé's son. Their child had been alive for the past fifteen years and he was forced to deal with the pressures of being labeled an outcast only because he could not speak. Vader glanced at his son and noticed the fifteen year old boy had fallen asleep with his head resting against Vader's chest.

Gently lowering Luke onto the bed, Vader covered him with a thermal blanket before shutting off the lights of the room. With one last glance at Luke, and, with a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling coursing through his veins, Vader walked out of the room.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: well that was chapter 5 and yay!**

**Darth: yeah, yeah, yeah and what was that "yay!" for**

**Blaze: Anakin's coming back six years early!**

**Palpypie: Skywalker has a son? And Luke is causing him to come back?! I'm going to kill him!!!!!!**

**Vader: what?!**

**Anakin: what?!**

**Blaze: I said the end of the chapter**

**Poseidon: yeah, she did, it says right here (shows note to Vader and Anakin)**

**Vader: (leaps into his tank) **

**Anakin: (leaps onto a random dragon) **

**Palpypie: you wouldn't dare!**

**Vader and Anakin: (chase after Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: ahhhhh! (Takes off running, trips, rolls, and crashes into Qui-Gon)**

**Qui-Gon: oh no you didn't (leaps onto Anakin's motorcylce and joins Vader and Anakin in their chase)**

**Palpypie: why me?!!!!! (Runs toward the Atlantic Ocean where Lucifer the Great White Shark, Sky the Bee, and Lefty and Righty the giant twin spiders were waiting for him)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter six as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon, hopefully next week however.**


	6. Chapter Six

**Blaze: yay time for the next chapter**

**Darth: stupid beep, beep, beep, beep**

**Blaze: what's got you so angry?**

**Darth: I'm trying to finish my d%$ project for school and I keep losing things**

**Blaze: anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering**

**Yoda: said that I did**

**Blaze: and your point is…**

**Yoda: (scowls)**

**Blaze: (laughs) here's chapter 6 and I hope you like it. Oh as for the Yuuzhan Vong, let's make believe they tried to take over the galaxy during the Old Republic, before the Invasion of Naboo and let's make believe this is a time travel fic as well but I'm not going to say anymore without giving away the entire story.**

**Chapter Six**

It was still late when Luke woke up and glanced at the clock on his side table, the clock read 600 hours and he realized that had only gotten about eight hours of sleep since he had spoken to Vader through the Force the last time. He got to his feet before gazing around and he noticed some clothes were at the edge of his bed.

After he changed, the door opened and Vader walked in, he was closely followed by Obi-Wan who nodded in greeting to Luke. "I was able to convince Lord Vader to let you see your aunt and uncle as well as your other friends," Obi-Wan said softly.

'_Thank you Ben,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad before handing it to Obi-Wan.

"You're welcome Luke," he replied after reading the data pad and handing the data pad back to Luke who took it before placing it on the bed beside him. He glanced at his father as Vader paced his eyes were narrowed and it sounded as though he was murmuring something under his breath.

_What's the matter, father?_ Luke asked silently causing Vader to glance up at him.

_Nothing Son, come, your aunt and uncle have been worried about you,_ Vader replied silently. He glanced at Obi-Wan. "I still haven't decided what to do with you, Kenobi, just remember that," he added to Obi-Wan who nodded somberly in reply.

'_Is Father going to hurt you?_' Luke wrote down onto the data pad before showing it to Obi-Wan.

"Hopefully not, young one," Obi-Wan replied calmly though by the sound of his voice, Luke could tell he wasn't so sure.

_Please don't hurt him, father,_ Luke pleaded silently to Vader who glanced at him before looking at Obi-Wan.

_I never said that I would harm him, Son,_ his father replied silently before leading the way out of the room and Luke dropped into step beside Obi-Wan as they made their way into the dark lord's meditation chamber. Beru and Owen were there as well as Han and Chewbacca and Biggs. Luke smiled, glad to see Biggs out of the Medbay and he jogged over to join them.

"Wow, didn't think I'd be in Vader's own chambers," Han commented.

Luke smiled before glancing at Beru and Owen and jogging over to join his aunt and uncle. Owen and Beru wrapped their arms around him. "Thank the stars you're all right," Beru cried and Luke winced as his guardians squeezed the breath out of him.

Owen was glaring at Vader. "If you have harmed Luke in anyway…" he began.

"I would not harm him, Owen, he is my son after all," Vader snapped back.

Owen snorted muttering something about it being a shock that Vader was actually being nice. Beru elbowed Owen in the stomach and he glared at her but she held his gaze before glancing at Luke. "You're all right, aren't you?" she asked.

Luke nodded once before managing to get himself out of Beru's crushing grip and he glanced at his other friends. Chewbacca growled in greeting and Han smiled. "Glad to see ya are all right, kid," he said smiling.

'_Yes, me too, thanks for everything, Han,_' Luke wrote down onto the data pad before showing it to Han who smiled.

"You're welcome kid," he replied.

'_Nice to see you back on your own two feet, Biggs_,' Luke wrote onto the data pad before showing it to Biggs who smiled.

"You know me, Luke, I don't stay down for long," he replied.

"So what now?" Han asked curiously. "What's going to happen to the kid?"

"Luke is staying here with me, as for you, I have not decided what to do with all of you yet," Vader said coolly.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "If you are planning on keeping Luke would you, I think it would be best to drop Beru and Owen off back on Tatooine," he said.

"The Emperor has ordered me to return to Coruscant so I cannot detour to Tatooine as of now, we are going to have to drop Beru and Owen off somewhere along the way. As for Han, Chewbacca and you, I do not know yet," Vader replied coolly.

Obi-Wan sighed. "What about Alderaan? It's on the way and I'm sure Beru and Owen wouldn't mind going there, I hear it is beautiful," he suggested.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "I cannot say if Organa will allow that to happen but it would be best," he said. He pulled out his comlink. "Admiral?" he called into it as the holographic image of Admiral Ozzel appeared before him.

Ozzel saluted. "Yes my Lord?" he asked.

"Set the course for the Alderaan system," Vader ordered.

"Yes, my Lord," Ozzel replied and his holographic image disappeared and Vader turned his gaze back to Luke.

_What's going to happen to Ben?_ Luke asked silently his eyes narrowing slightly.

_Nothing right now, Son_, Vader replied silently.

_Please don't hurt him, please,_ Luke said silently walking over to stand beside Vader and wrapping his arms around Vader's waist. Vader stiffened slightly but he relaxed and put an arm around Luke's shoulders, this caused everyone in the room, except Obi-Wan, to stare at him in shock. Obi-Wan was smiling and murmuring something under his breath that Luke couldn't hear.

_Very well, I will not harm him,_ Vader said silently. He glanced at Obi-Wan. "When we reach Alderaan, you may join Beru and Owen but do not cross paths with me again."

"If you say so," Obi-Wan replied with a small triumph smile.

~*~

Emperor Palpatine waited as the holographic image of Lord Vader appeared before him. "Lord Vader, I had expected you to contact sooner," Palpatine said coolly his yellow eyes narrowing.

"I know, master, I have been busy, we were detoured into the Geonosis system and we are now heading toward Coruscant," Vader replied calmly though Palpatine noticed his yellow flecked blue eyes were narrowed slightly. What shocked Palpatine the most was the calmness in Lord Vader's voice, never in the past fifteen years has Palpatine heard that note in his voice. Vader was either always angry or filled with self-pity, never has he been as calm and in control of his self as he was right now.

_Something suspicious has been going on, _Palpatine thought. "Very well, Lord Vader, and what of young Skywalker?" he asked. "Has he been turned yet?"

"No, not yet, my master, he is very stubborn," Vader replied.

"He is much too powerful to be kept untrained especially if Kenobi is still alive. Young Skywalker must not be able to reach his full potential," Palpatine said coolly.

"I know, master, he will turn, I promise you he will," Vader replied but Palpatine could tell that Vader didn't feel his own words and his eyes narrowed even more.

"Very well, Lord Vader, when you return to Coruscant, I wish to speak with you and the boy," Palpatine said.

"Very well, master," Vader replied lowering his head and his holographic image flickered before it was gone. Palpatine narrowed his eyes, hearing the tone in his apprentice's voice, the reluctant tone caught Palpatine by surprise and he began to wonder why Vader was reluctant to bring his son before the Emperor.

_This is something I will have to look into more when Vader returns to Coruscant,_ Palpatine thought narrowing his yellow eyes. He walked away from the communication chamber before heading back to the throne room in the Imperial Palace.

~*~

Vader narrowed his eyes as he made his way out of the communication chambers. He was reluctant to take Luke in front of Palpatine because Palpatine might think of Luke's disability as a set back and he may force Vader to kill his own son. And he knew he wouldn't be able to do that._ But why am I so worried about a mere boy, even if that mere boy is my son?_ Vader wondered silently as he walked down the hallway.

He sensed Luke's presence and glanced over his shoulder as Luke walked over to join him. _Hello Son,_ he greeted the boy silently as Luke came to a stop beside him.

_Hi father, _Luke greeted him silently._ Ben said that you went to talk with someone, who was that?_

_The Emperor,_ Vader replied silently.

Luke nodded slightly. _Father, can I ask you something? _He asked silently after a few moments of silence.

"What do you want to ask me?" Vader asked out loud.

Luke shook his head. _Can we talk in private?_ He asked silently.

Vader hesitated before nodding and leading the way into a nearby room and Luke followed him. Vader used the Force to close the door and Luke glanced at the door before looking back at Vader.

_How did you do that?_ He asked silently.

_The Force,_ Vader replied calmly. _Now what is it you wanted to talk about?_

Luke hesitated for a split second._ Well I had this dream,_ he said and quickly explained, almost word for word, what happened on Mustafar fifteen years ago and Vader's eyes shot wide with shock. _How in the world would he be able to see what happened at Mustafar?_ He wondered silently.

_Was that really you in my dream?_ Luke asked silently when he was finished relying the dream to Vader.

"Yes, I think it was," Vader said softly. "But I don't know why you would have dreamed of that."

_Why is that?_ Luke asked silently.

Vader shrugged feeling a bit confused, he couldn't understand why his son would witness what had occurred on Mustafar and he hoped that Luke hadn't inherited Vader's ability to see the future. It brought a lot of pain to Vader's life and he would never want that to happen to his son.

_Why am I suddenly so protective of a mere boy?_ he wondered silently but gazing at his mute son in front of him, he couldn't help but let the protectiveness surge throughout his body. There was something about this boy, maybe it was the strong Force sensitivity within him or maybe it was because he was Vader's son, that made Vader want to protect him from all the dangers in the galaxy.

Luke gazed at him. _Father?_ He asked silently when Vader didn't reply to Luke's statement.

Vader blinked not realizing he had been staring at his son for the past few minutes. "What?" he asked.

Luke gazed at him. _Your eyes,_ he said gesturing to Vader's face and he blinked slightly again.

"What about my eyes?" he asked.

_They aren't yellow flecked anymore, they look like my eyes,_ Luke replied silently.

Vader got to his feet before walking into a refresher that happened to be in the same room as they were currently located in. He didn't notice his son walking in after him as he gazed at himself in the mirror, Luke was right, his eyes weren't yellow flecked any more, his eyes were a pure crystalline blue, the same color that they had been before the events of Mustafar.

_How is this possible?_ Vader wondered silently gazing at his own face.

_It is your protectiveness toward Luke that has caused you to lean toward the light side of the Force, Ani,_ a voice said silently and Vader gazed around. He knew it couldn't have been his son because his son didn't know of the old nickname his mom had given him years ago. Obi-Wan knew of the nickname but he was busy preparing the ship to transport Beru and Owen to Alderaan once they entered the system, Padmé was dead and that meant there was only one other person who knew Vader's nickname.

And that one person has been dead for nearly twenty-eight years.

_I know that I have been dead for nearly twenty-eight years, Ani, but the Force allowed me to continue to watch over you as you trained. I regret that I was unable to help you when you fell to the dark side and I did try to stop you from massacring the Tusken Raiders camp,_ the voice said silently.

Vader gazed around startled, he had not heard that voice since he was nine years old and yet the voice was the same. He noticed Luke was at his side gazing at him with concern in his eyes and Vader realized that Luke couldn't hear the voice that was talking to Vader through the Force.

_He cannot hear me because he does not know me. He can only hear those that he knows, that is why he is able to hear you when you talk with him through the Force. He could hear Obi-Wan through the Force as well if he wanted to but he seems more comfortable with just your voice in his mind,_ the voice of Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn said calmly and silently in the vaults of Vader's mind.

_What are you doing here, Qui-Gon?_ Vader demanded silently.

_I am here merely to watch as events unfold,_ Qui-Gon replied silently._ Something is coming, Ani, and it is more dangerous than the Emperor himself._

_What are you talking about?_ Vader demanded.

_I cannot say more, the Force has prohibited me to say anything about this new threat. All I know it is something that no one has ever faced before, an enemy so great that even the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic, back several centuries before the Invasion of Naboo, barely managed to defeat them and, for some reason, they have been sent from the future here,_ Qui-Gon replied silently.

_What are they?_ Vader demanded sounding confused at the mention of them coming from the future.

There was a long moment of silence._ They are known as the Yuuzhan Vong_, Qui-Gon replied somberly and then his voice was gone, leaving Vader with many unanswered questions in his mind.

~*~

Luke gazed up at his father as Vader seemed to stiffen with confusion and surprise, he didn't know how he knew what his father was feeling but he figured it had something to do with the Force. He gazed at Vader before putting his arms around Vader's waist and his father glanced back at him.

Luke wondered why there was confusion in his eyes. _What is the matter, father?_ He asked silently.

Vader shook his head._ Nothing, Son, come, let's go find Kenobi and see if the preparations are made for their departure to Alderaan,_ he said silently before sweeping out of the refresher and Luke, frowning, quickly followed his father, wondering why his father was looking so confused.

They walked down the long hallway toward the hangar bay and Han and Chewbacca, who were working on their ship, the _Millennium Falcon_, glanced up. "Hey there kid," he greeted Luke with a small smile that faded away when Vader glanced at him. Obi-Wan was nearby and Luke noticed there was a smile on his face, a smile that seemed to soften the aging man's facial features.

"The ship is almost prepared, we should be able to leave as soon as we enter the Alderaan system," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"Good, the sooner you're off my ship, the better," Vader replied but Luke noticed that his voice was angry as it had been when he had first spoken with Obi-Wan when they had first met.

Obi-Wan just smiled. "Whatever you say Anakin," he said, this caused Vader to scowl but Luke noticed immediately that the scowl wasn't angry, it was more tiring and resignation as if Vader didn't have the heart to be angry at Obi-Wan. Luke had the impression that this had something to do with the dream that Luke had told him about.

"Obi-Wan, may I speak with you for a moment, in private?" Vader asked suddenly causing Luke to glance up at him in surprise.

Obi-Wan frowned. "Sure," he said and followed Vader as he led the way to a nearby room. Luke hesitated but before he could start to follow his father, Vader glanced back at him.

"Stay here," he ordered before disappearing into a nearby room with Obi-Wan just behind him. _And do not worry, I will not harm him, I promised you I wouldn't,_ Luke heard Vader add silently in the vaults of his mind.

"Wonder what that was all about," Han mused.

"There's no telling with Vader," Owen sighed. He jogged over to join Luke. "You are coming with us to Alderaan, aren't you?"

Luke gazed at him before shaking his head no.

"Why not?" Beru cried rushing over and grabbing Luke in a bear hug that nearly broke the boy in half.

Luke pulled out the data pad he still carried around with him for when he spoke to people other than Obi-Wan. '_I have just found my father and I don't want to leave him,_' he wrote onto the data pad.

"But he's evil," Beru protested.

Luke shook his head. '_He's not evil, I know he isn't, there is good inside of him, I know it, I saw it come out, if only slightly. I may not know anything about this Force but I will do anything in my power to bring my father back, my true father, Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader,_' he wrote onto the data pad with determination before showing it to his guardians.

Han glanced over Beru's shoulder before reading the data pad. "Kid, are ya serious? Vader can't be Anakin Skywalker, he can't be," he protested.

"And how did you know Anakin Skywalker was your father? I never told you his name," Owen protested.

Luke glanced at them. '_Obi-Wan called Vader Anakin and since he is my father, I put two and two together. I can sense the darkness in him but I can also sense the light, I know that father can return from the darkness and I will make sure it happens, one way or another,_' he wrote down determinably before showing the data pad to his guardians and his friends.

A new sense of determination coursed through his veins and he knew that he could bring his true father back, one way or another.

~*~

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, there was something about Vader, he couldn't be sure exactly what it was but he knew that Vader was on the borderline between the light and the darkness. Something had caused him to start leaning toward the light side of the Force and that is what caused his eyes to turn back to the crystalline blue that Obi-Wan was so used to seeing when Anakin had been his Padawan.

"Obi-Wan, have you ever heard someone you have thought was dead for so long speak with you in your mind?" Vader asked suddenly. Obi-Wan blinked, not realizing this was what Vader had asked him in here for.

"Sometimes," he admitted, remembering the talks he used to have with his former Master Qui-Gon Jinn.

Vader, as if sensing Obi-Wan's thought, glanced at him, his pure blue eyes narrowing slightly but there was no anger in his eyes, there was resignation and a slight crawl of fear, the fear was something Obi-Wan has never seen in his former Padawan's eyes since the Invasion of Naboo.

"He spoke to me," Vader murmured softly.

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Master Qui-Gon, he told me that my sudden protectiveness toward Luke has caused me to lean toward the light side of the Force. He said that the Force allowed him to watch over me after he died at the Invasion of Naboo. And then…and then he told me that the galaxy was facing a new threat, one that is more powerful and more evil than Emperor Palpatine," Vader said. "I asked him who they were and he told me they were the ones that the Jedi of the Old Republic, centuries before the Invasion of Naboo, barely defeated and that they were from the future and known as the Yuuzhan Vong."

Obi-Wan frowned. "I have never heard of the Yuuzhan Vong," he admitted though he didn't bring up the mention of them being from the future.

"Neither have I, when I was training with the other Padawans at the Jedi Temple, they never once mentioned a threat like the Yuuzhan Vong before," Vader admitted as well and Obi-Wan realized he didn't want to talk about the Vong being from the future. For a long moment only silence existed in the little data compact room and Obi-Wan continued to examine his former Padawan.

"Anakin," he began and waited for a brief second but, to his surprise, Vader didn't interrupt and snap that he was now called Vader. Instead his former Padawan just examined him with his clear blue gaze that Obi-Wan could almost feel the Force shift within him. Just looking at him now Obi-Wan couldn't help but remember what he had been like when he had just been a boy, not long after Qui-Gon had been killed.

"What?" Vader demanded impatiently and that once again reminded Obi-Wan of his former Padawan.

"If what Qui-Gon tells you is true then maybe the galaxy is in store for something much more than just Emperor Palpatine's tyrannical rule," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

Vader's eyes narrowed and a brief flash of anger crossed his gaze, reminding him once again of the Vader Obi-Wan had met on Mustafar. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

"I don't know," Obi-Wan admitted honestly, Vader's eyes narrowed even more, and he added, "stretch out with the Force, you know that I am speaking the truth."

Vader sighed. "I know you are speaking the truth, Obi-Wan," he replied. "But I don't know what to do."

_None of you know what to do and that is understandable, _Qui-Gon's familiar voice said silently and Obi-Wan glanced around for his former Master.

"Qui-Gon?" he called.

_Yes Obi-Wan, I heard everything and I understand that none of you know whether or not my warning is true. I cannot say if it is true either but I know one thing, it has something to do with the Prophecy,_ Qui-Gon replied silently.

"The Prophecy? But I thought that died when…" Obi-Wan broke off with a glance at Vader.

"Go ahead and say it, Kenobi," Vader said coolly, once again the dark lord that Obi-Wan had met on Mustafar. "I betrayed the Jedi Order and turned the dark side, you don't have to keep it bottled up. I know what I did but I am not ashamed for trying to save Padmé's life."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "She died anyway, she died believing that you could turn good again," he said.

_Obi-Wan is right, Ani, Padmé did die believing there was still good in you. She gave birth to your children, told Obi-Wan that she knew there was still good in you and then she passed on,_ Qui-Gon said silently.

Obi-Wan winced slightly, realizing that Vader didn't know about Leia and judging by the anger in Vader's eyes, he knew that Obi-Wan knew as well. "Children?" he echoed angrily.

A loud sigh echoed through the Force. _Honestly, Obi-Wan, if you want Anakin to come back, keeping his daughter a secret is not helping,_ Qui-Gon said silently.

"Once again, I didn't tell him about Leia because if a spy from the Emperor was listening in, Leia would be in danger. It is bad enough Palpatine already knows about Luke," Obi-Wan retorted.

_You do got a point but you still could have told Anakin in private,_ Qui-Gon pointed out silently.

"And what if there just happened to be a spy in the private room?" Obi-Wan protested.

"You should have told me, Kenobi," Vader snarled. "How dare you keep the fact that Padmé had twins, _twins?_ And you never thought to tell me about this?"

"I did think of telling you, Anakin, but I didn't want the Emperor to know about Leia," Obi-Wan protested.

Vader snarled in fury but before he could do anything, Qui-Gon's voice sounded, _Anakin! Stop it! You have more important problems to worry about other than whether Obi-Wan kept your children a secret from you. As I told you, these creatures known as the Yuuzhan Vong are planning on invading from the future. I know they are, I saw it._

"What do you mean you saw it?" Vader demanded.

_The Force showed me the future to warn you of what is to come, for some reason, a ripple in the Force has caused a rip in the galaxy and not only are we who have joined the Force able to see the future and some things from the future have been transported into the past,_ Qui-Gon said silently._ This ripple in the Force has caused the distant future and the present to clash and…_ He broke off and Obi-Wan staggered back just as a large disturbance in the Force struck, one that was large enough to cause Vader to stagger backwards.

"What was that?" Vader exclaimed.

At that moment the door to the data compact room opened and Luke hurried in gazing at them with wide eyes. He glanced at Vader who frowned before his crystalline eyes shot wide with shock and he quickly pulled out his comlink.

"Kiera, get down to the hangar bay immediately," he ordered into the comlink as the holographic image of a young human appeared.

"What's going on?" Obi-Wan asked.

Luke glanced at Obi-Wan before pulling out his data pad and writing something down on it quickly before showing it to Obi-Wan.

'_There are three people here, they look strange and they look as though they are injured,_' the data pad read.

"Who are these people?" Obi-Wan asked as he remembered Qui-Gon's words. _This ripple has caused the distant future and the present to clash…_his former master had said and Obi-Wan couldn't help but wonder if he was speaking metaphorically or not.

'_I don't know, they are unconscious,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad.

"Come on, let's go check on them," Vader said before leading the way out of the data compact room and Luke followed, Obi-Wan glanced over his shoulder and he could have sworn he had seen the faint blue outline of his former master but he blinked and then it was gone.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: Ha, I couldn't help it**

**Darth: help what?**

**Blaze: bring characters from the distant future into my story**

**Darth: but you never mentioned that in the summary**

**Blaze: I kept the summary as vague as possible so I can bring anything I want into the story so long as I stick to the main plot**

**Darth: the main plot?**

**Vader: what's that?**

**Blaze: Luke being mute**

**Vader: that's it?**

**Blaze: yup, you see the main plot is so vague I can bring anything I want into it and I kind of got this idea from the newest Star Trek movie**

**Vader: cool**

**Jaina Solo: Hi**

**Jacen Solo: Hi**

**Anakin Solo: Hi**

**Vader: hey! You have the same name as me!**

**Anakin Solo: well duh!**

**Vader: what's that supposed to mean?**

**Anakin Solo: well…**

**Blaze: no**

**Anakin Solo: but…**

**Blaze: no**

**Anakin Solo: fine**

**Vader: what did he want to tell me?**

**Blaze: it's nothing, please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can. And if anyone can guess who the three characters from the future are, they'll get a virtual Palpypie Voodoo doll and a virtual lightsaber (hint: reread author's note)**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Blaze: hiya**

**Jacen: Hiya**

**Jaina: hiya**

**Anakin: hiya**

**Vader: hiya**

**Palpypie: hiya**

**Vader, Anakin, Jaina, Jacen and Blaze: (pulls out lightsaber, crossbow, sword, firebomb, and candy bow and arrow respectfully) kill him!**

**Palpypie: ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! (takes off running)**

**Blaze: hahahahaha, here's chapter 7 and I hope you like it and I would like to congratulate XxRandom NemesisxX, Laterose13, Imperial warlord, and Mae Kusanagi for guessing right as to who the three characters from the future are. And yes this is still going to be a father/son story, I just wanted to bring in characters from the future. Oh and the new characters will explain exactly what's happened okay? Oh and I'm not exactly sure how old the Solo children where during **_**Star by Star**_** because I will never read that story so I'm making it up.**

**Darth: and?**

**Blaze: this is going to be specifically a Vader/Luke father/son relationship story, as I said before, in response to a review from Phoebegirl319.**

_**Disclaimer- I don't own Star Wars and I never will and I'm only saying this, I think twice now**_

**Chapter Seven**

Darth Vader narrowed his eyes as he examined the three newcomers in the hangar bay of the Star Destroyer, the _Executor_. All three of them looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old and Vader noticed one of them looked a little bit younger than the other two. The other two looked alike and Vader assumed they were twins.

Luke hurried forward before kneeling down beside the three newcomers and glancing at Vader. _They seem to be all right but they just appeared here in a bright flash of light,_ he said silently in the vaults of Vader's mind.

Vader nodded sharply before glancing up as Kiera jogged into the hangar bay before hurrying toward the three newcomers. He stiffened slightly when he noticed all three of the newcomers had lightsabers hanging at their belts. Obi-Wan must have noticed as well but Vader's former master didn't say anything about it.

The younger of the three stirred first before blinking open blue eyes that nearly looked identical to the same blue gaze as Luke and Vader. He blinked his eyes several times before gazing around. "Where are we?" he asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Vader said coolly and the younger man turned his gaze to Vader. He didn't meet Vader's gaze and began to shake the other two awake.

"Jaina, Jacen, wake up," he said continuing to shake the two older people.

The boy was the first to stir, blinking open brown eyes before narrowing them against the glare of the lights of the hangar bay. The girl woke up next before gazing around with confusion in her dark brown gaze.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I honestly do not have the slightest clue," the younger boy admitted. "This is definitely not Mykyr so where are we?"

"You are on the _Executor_," Obi-Wan said calmly.

"Where?" the girl echoed and Vader figured the girl was Jaina while the older boy was Jacen but he wasn't sure as to who the younger boy was because the younger one hadn't mentioned his name.

"Was that what that guy Qui-Gon had meant when he talked to us?" the younger man asked turning his blue gaze to Jacen and Jaina.

"Qui-Gon spoke to you?" Obi-Wan echoed his gray-blue eyes widening with shock and Vader couldn't help but feel shocked as well.

"Well he said something about the Yuuzhan Vong going to the past to make sure the most powerful Jedi from making it as far as the spot in time where we are from and that we were being sent back to help prevent that from happening," Jacen explained.

Luke looked confused and he glanced at Vader. _What are they talking about?_he asked silently.

Vader shrugged. _I don't know,_ he admitted silently.

"Can we back up a second, who are ya?" Han demanded and the three of them turned their gazes to Han before glancing at each other.

"Is that…?" Jacen began.

"I think it is," Jaina said before Jacen could finish the question Vader knew he was going to ask. He knew the tone of Jacen's voice suggested he was going to ask a question but he didn't know what the question was.

"I would like to know who you are as well," Vader said coolly and the three of them glanced at him before whispering to each other in low voices that Vader couldn't make out.

"I'm Jaina Solo," the girl said introducing herself.

"I'm Jacen Solo," the older boy said.

"And I'm Anakin Solo," the younger of the two boys said and Vader had to stop himself from staggering backwards in shock. _Anakin? Why would this boy have the same name that I once held?_ he wondered silently.

Luke seemed to be wondering the same thing for he asked silently, _why does this boy have the same name as you?_ Vader was to shocked to bother reminding his son that he wasn't Anakin anymore, he was Vader.

"Wait a second, how the kriff do you have the same last name as me?!" Han demanded angrily.

"Well, we're from the future you see," Jaina said.

"What year are we in?" Jacen asked. "Qui-Gon said we would be going back to a few years before the Battle of Yavin but I'm not sure how many years before."

"Battle of Yavin?" Vader echoed.

"No Battle of Yavin has taken place," Obi-Wan said.

Jacen frowned. "Well, it's supposed to happen, from what my Uncle told me, eighteen years following the Rise of the Empire," he said.

"That would be three years from now," Vader said a bit bitterly.

"So we are in 15 BBY," Anakin commented. He slowly got to his feet before helping his siblings up. "Well, we've introduced ourselves so would you be so kind as to introduce yourselves?"

Vader had to bit back the urge to scowl in fury and it was only Luke's gentle touch through the Force that stopped him from snapping at the three newcomers.

"Well, if you have the last name as me, ya probably already know who I am," Han muttered. "The name's Han Solo and this is my co-pilot Chewbacca."

Anakin smiled slightly as he examined the wookie before turning his gaze to the other three in the hangar bay. "So who are you?" he asked curiously.

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan said lowering his head in greeting.

Luke glanced at Vader before looking back at the others who were examining him curiously. Jacen's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute, that looks like…" he paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes even more. "Uncle Luke?"

"_Uncle_?" Vader echoed his blue eyes shooting wide with shock.

"Yes, you're Luke Skywalker, aren't you?" Jacen asked.

Luke nodded once in reply.

"What's the matter with him?" Jaina asked curiously.

"He's mute," Han explained.

"Mute? Was that the change Qui-Gon had been talking about?" Jacen asked curiously.

"Change?" Obi-Wan echoed.

"Yes, Qui-Gon said that the Yuuzhan Vong had gone to the past one other time and that was some centuries before what he called the Invasion of Naboo. He said the Yuuzhan Vong arriving in that time period set off a chain of events that changed some parts of the future and yet kept other parts of the future the same," Anakin replied.

"Will ya please speak so that we can understand ya?" Han protested.

Jaina sighed. "Basically saying, when the Yuuzhan Vong arrived centuries before the Invasion of Naboo, it caused something to change the very year the Empire rose. And the arrival of the Yuuzhan Vong the second time has caused us to be tossed into the past," he said.

"So you are saying that Luke was born mute because the Yuuzhan Vong came to the past the first time?" Vader demanded narrowing his eyes.

"Yes and something else but Qui-Gon wouldn't explain what that other thing was," Jacen said.

"I think I know what it was," Obi-Wan said and Vader glanced at his former master, his eyes narrowing but he didn't say anything as his former master began to speak again, "It was the duel on Mustafar, Anakin," he said turning his gaze to Vader. The mention of Vader's former name caused Jacen, Jaina and Anakin to glance at each other in shock.

"What do you mean, Kenobi?" Vader demanded.

"The duel on Mustafar," Obi-Wan explained. "You know how you, somehow, managed to stop yourself from rolling down the hill to the river of lava. That wasn't a coincidence. I spoke to Qui-Gon about it and he says that you were supposed to burn in the river of lava just as Luke was not supposed to be born mute. The Yuuzhan Vong arriving centuries before they were supposed to caused Luke to become mute and you never to have been burned."

"Wait a minute, did you just call him Anakin? As in Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father?" Jaina asked turning her brown gaze to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan nodded once. "Yes, this is Anakin Skywalker, even if he is too stubborn to admit it," he said.

Vader scowled at him but before he could protest, he once again felt Luke's gently Force presence push aside the growing anger. Anakin glanced at Vader. "Luke, in the future, always told me that my mother named me after you," he said.

"Why would she do that?" Vader asked coolly.

"Well, she's your daughter," Jaina replied with a shrug.

"Wait a minute, _Leia_ is your mother!" Vader demanded his eyes shooting wide with shock.

"Hold up a minute, if ya have the same last name as me and this Leia is your mother, does that mean…?" Han began.

"You are our father and Leia is your wife," Jacen finished for him. Vader scowled in anger and Han prudently took a step back.

_I'm confused,_ Luke admitted silently turning his blue gaze to his father.

_Honestly, so am I,_ Vader replied silently.

"So what are we supposed to do know?" Beru, who hadn't spoken since the three newcomers had arrived, asked.

As if on cue, Vader's comlink beeped and he pulled out his comlink before switching it on as the holographic image of Captain Piett appeared before him. "My Lord, we are entering the Alderaan system," Piett said saluting.

"Very well, Captain," Vader replied before shutting his comlink off and glancing at Beru and Owen. "We will be entering the Alderaan system so I suggest you finish your preparations. Obi-Wan, you may contact the Organa family and tell them that you are coming if you wish."

"Very well, Anakin, what are you going to do with the newcomers?" Obi-Wan asked.

"We are supposed to help protect the future founder of the New Jedi Order from the Yuuzhan Vong," Anakin said.

"So we are going to stay here and protect Luke," Jaina added.

"Wait a minute, are you telling me my son is the founder of the New Jedi Order?" Vader demanded angrily and everyone, wisely, took a step back. Vader took a deep breath to control his anger.

"Yes, he's also going to be a very powerful Jedi, at least he's a powerful Jedi during the time where we come from," Anakin said.

_My son? A powerful Jedi?_ Vader echoed silently gazing at his son who was gazing up at him.

_What's the matter, father?_ Luke asked silently.

Vader, realizing he had been staring, shook his head. _Nothing, Son,_ he muttered silently. "What will happen if we do stop the Yuuzhan Vong?" he asked finally.

"I honestly don't know," Jacen admitted.

"Neither do I," Jaina agreed.

"Nor do I, Qui-Gon never told us, he only told us something though but I can't seem to make out what he means," Anakin said.

"What did he tell you?" Obi-Wan asked. He had left a while ago to escort Beru and Owen into the ship before returning to the gathered group.

"He said, _nothing will ever be the same but what was silent shall now speak, what was wrong shall be righted, the prophecy shall be complete with the loss of the one that was chosen, the darkness shall be overthrown, andthe future and past will once again be separated_," Anakin said. He glanced at Jaina and Jacen. "Is that what he said?"

Jaina nodded. "Those were his exact words, Anakin," she replied.

Anakin nodded before glancing at Vader who narrowed his eyes. _What could that mean?_ he wondered silently. He glanced at Luke and his son smiled gently at him before glancing at Han and the others.

"Come on, Chewie, let's get going before Vader changes his mind about letting us leave," Han suggested glancing at Wookie who growled in agreement.

Luke jogged over to join Han before hugging him and writing something down on the datapad Vader noticed he still carried around with him. Han took the datapad before nodding. "I will, kid, take care," he said before he handed the datapad back to Luke before jogging over to the ship with Chewbacca just behind him.

"I guess this is goodbye, Luke," Obi-Wan said.

Luke smiled before writing something onto the pad and Vader glanced at the words, his eyes narrowing as he read them. '_Goodbye, Ben, and thanks for everything, I promise you I'll bring father back to the light side of the Force, I will not stop until Anakin Skywalker is back,_' the data pad read.

_He believe he can bring Anakin back?_ Vader thought. _No that's not possible,_ he told himself silently but he knew that the truth was staring at him right in the face. Qui-Gon's voice, his eyes changing back to the color blue, and the sudden love and protectiveness that Vader was feeling.

Vader blinked several times before looking away as to not get caught reading over Luke's shoulder. _Maybe they're right, if I wasn't leaning toward the light side of the Force, why would Qui-Gon, who, from what Obi-Wan has told me, was so in tuned the living Force, be able to contact me? And why else would I feel love and protectiveness, something I haven't felt since I was Anakin?_ Vader wondered silently and he could almost feel the shift inside of him, the shift that pushed him to the point where he was about ready to fall off the borderline onto the light side of the Force.

~*~

Palpatine narrowed his eyes as a disturbance in the Force struck him and he glanced at Moff Tarkin who was sitting beside him, the other Moff's were talking with each other but Palpatine tuned them out, his thoughts drifting to Vader and the boy he knew to be Anakin Skywalker's son.

_Why do I have this feeling this disturbance has something to do with Vader and that boy?_ Palpatine wondered silently.

"Your Majesty?" Tarkin's voice brought Palpatine back to the present and the Emperor glanced at the Moff.

"What is it?" Palpatine demanded.

"We are receiving a message," Tarkin said gesturing to his aide who was listening in on a message.

Palpatine narrowed his eyes, Vader and the other Imperials knew better than to contact him while he was in a meeting. "Who is it from?" he demanded.

The aide glanced at him. "The frequency is something that I have never seen before," he said. "The creature introduced himself as Shimmra Jamaane. What is odd is that it is speaking through a translator, Basic is not this creature's first language."

"What exactly does this have to do with anything?" Palpatine demanded.

"He says he demands to know where Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo are," the aide said after listening to the comlink for a moment.

_Luke Skywalker? As in Anakin Skywalker's son, the boy that is currently in Vader's possession? Why would this creature want him? And what about Leia Organa Solo? I don't know anyone who has the last name Solo but I know that Princess Leia's, the young Senator from Alderaan, surname is Organa,_ Palpatine thought.

"He says that he will be prepared to take extreme measures if his demands are not met," the aid said lowering the comlink slightly.

"Who is this Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo? And why do these creatures want them?" Palpatine wondered out loud. He knew the only reason he wasn't giving away the information about Anakin's Son was because he was planning on making young Skywalker his own apprentice.

"He will not say, he just says to hand over Skywalker and Organa Solo and he will leave," the aide reported.

Palpatine's eyes narrowed. "Let me talk with him," he ordered coolly.

"Yes, your Majesty," the aide said before moving the comlink in front of Palpatine and the holographic image of a strange looking creature appeared before him. The creature had grayish-purplish-blue skin with black hair, eye sacks and sloping foreheads and Palpatine never, in his entire life, has seen an alien such as this one.

"Who are you?" the alien demanded through a translator that seemed to be strapped to the creature's face.

"I am Emperor Palpatine, who am I speaking with?" Palpatine demanded coolly.

"I am Supreme Overlord Shimmra Jamaame, I wish only for the ones known as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo and I will leave peacefully," the creature said.

"We do not know anyone by that name," Palpatine said calmly his yellow eyes narrowing slightly.

"We know they are here and we will take extreme measures to obtain them," Jamaame snapped.

"Why do you want them?" Tarkin asked and Palpatine resisted the urge to kill the idiot Moff.

"That is not your business," the creature snapped angrily.

"Who exactly are you? You have no right to demand information from me!" Palpatine hissed.

The creature glared at Palpatine. "I am the leader of the Yuuzhan Vong and you, Emperor Palpatine, will not stop me getting what I want," the alien hissed in reply before his holographic image disappeared and Palpatine was left staring at the comlink, fuming with anger.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: this chapter was shorter than the last**

**Darth: no duh**

**Blaze: I was trying to make it four thousand words but I figure six pages is enough**

**Darth: and?**

**Blaze: I'm getting to that, I'm not sure if Shimmra Jamaame is the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong because I haven't, and never will, read the **_**New Jedi Order**_** so yeah, I got most of his information from Wookipedia.**

**Tigerstar: yay!**

**Blaze: what's got you so happy?**

**Tigerstar: I finally figured out the meaning of the message Qui-Gon gave Anakin Solo**

**Blaze: (pulls out lightsaber)**

**Tigerstar: I didn't say the meaning!**

**Blaze: (laughs) if anyone can figure out what Qui-Gon meant by those words he gave Anakin, I would love to see if anyone can figure out what you think he means**

**Tigerstar: so please put what you think the meaning is in your review**

**Palpypie: mwhahahahahaha**

**Blaze: (ignites lightsaber)**

**Mace: (leaps into Mustang)**

**Darth: (pulls out nuclear tipped rocket launcher)**

**Anakin Solo: (pulls out Zeus's master bolt)**

**Vader: (pulls out Poseidon's trident)**

**Luke: (pulls out a stick, glances at it in confusion, tosses it away and pulls out Hades' Helm of Darkness)**

**Palpypie: ahhhhhh! (Runs away)**

**Blaze: I don't want to know, please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can and sorry for the long author's note**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Blaze: well here's the next chapter**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: since the Yuuzhan Vong's ships aren't coming into this story until next chapter, I want to ask a favor of you**

**Tigerstar: (eating chocolate) what's that?**

**Luke: mmm chocolate (steals chocolate and takes off in Mace's Mustang)**

**Mace: you know what, I'm not even going to bother**

**Blaze: (steals chocolate and Mustang from Luke and crashes the Mustang) I have never read the New Jedi Order so I was wondering if someone can give me a description of the Yuuzhan Vong ships**

**Mace: ah come on!**

**Vader: do you have insurance?**

**Mace: well duh**

**Vader: (slices Palpypie in half)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: what the hell was that for?**

**Vader: cause you were there**

**Blaze: (laughs) thanks to everyone who reviewed and if anyone can help me, please, I would greatly appreciate it. Here's chapter 8 and I hope you like it**

**Chapter Eight**

Luke ignited his father's lightsaber before gazing at the brilliant blue blade in amazement. He glanced at Jacen who was positioned in front of him, his own blue blade ignited, Jaina was watching with Anakin at her side and Vader was pacing in the room behind them. Jacen narrowed his eyes. "You don't have any training in the Force, do you?" he asked.

Luke shook his head.

"Well, I know this will sound weird but I'll teach you what you taught me," Jacen replied with a slight shrug.

Luke raised an eyebrow. _I trained my own nephew in the future?_ he thought.

Jacen smiled slightly. "As I recall, when I was two, you helped me to fight off a creature that was trying to kill you," he said. "And you were a spirit when that happened."

_Wow,_ Luke thought.

Jacen smiled slightly. "We'll start with something easy, just try and block the blows that I throw at you," he said before swinging his lightsaber swiftly at Luke and he quickly blocked it with his own blue blade.

_Uh like that?_ He asked through the Force, pushing the thought into Jacen's mind.

Jacen seemed a bit startled at hearing his voice in his mind but he nodded. "Yeah like that," he replied before he swung his lightsaber again and Luke blocked it. As they trained Vader was watching the entire thing with narrowed eyes and, when Luke found himself defeated, his eyes narrowed even more but he didn't say anything as he continued to pace the training room.

"Wow, I actually beat you," Jacen exclaimed.

"Don't get cocky, I doubt you'll be able to beat Uncle Luke when we return to our own time," Jaina snapped.

Anakin laughed before leaping up. "Want to see how Jacen and I battle it out?" he asked.

Luke nodded before walking back to join his father as Jacen and Anakin started off in a simple stalemate and they began to battle back and forth. Their lightsabers flashed rapidly, swinging back and forth in the dim lit training room onboard Vader's Star Destroyer. They performed rapid flips and such rapid techniques that Luke found himself lost in the blur of the battle.

_Wow, they're good and I trained one of them in the future,_ he thought.

Vader was watching as well and Luke saw surprise in his eyes. _I'm still not going to get used to the fact that these three are my grandchildren in the future,_ he thought.

_You're old_, Luke said smiling when his father scowled at him before looking back at the lightsaber battle. Luke noticed his father's thoughts were elsewhere and he frowned slightly.

_What's the matter father?_ he asked silently.

_I can't help but think about the word Qui-Gon had given Anakin, Jacen and Jaina,_ Vader admitted silently.

_Which part?_ Luke asked curiously.

_The prophecy shall be complete with the loss of the one that was chosen_, Vader replied silently.

_What could that mean? _Luke asked.

_I have an idea,_ Vader replied but he didn't elaborate and Luke narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering what his father was keeping from him. He turned his attention back to the duel as Jacen and Anakin brought the match to a close.

"That was a good match," Jaina commented.

"You were well trained," Vader said and Luke could have sworn he heard pride in his voice and he figured it was either toward Jacen and Anakin or toward him because, apparently in the future, Luke is the one that trained Jacen and Anakin.

_Who trained Jaina?_ Luke asked silently and curiously.

"Mara Jade Skywalker, your wife in the future," Jaina replied.

Vader narrowed his eyes and Luke glanced at him. _You know this Mara?_ he asked silently.

_She's the Emperor's Hand,_ Vader explained. _The future is definitely something I would never see coming._

Before Luke could reply the door opened and Admiral Ozzel walked into the open. "Admiral," Vader said coolly turning his blue gaze to the Admiral who saluted in reply.

"My Lord the Emperor demands you make contact with him immediately," Ozzel reported.

"Where are we currently located?" Vader asked though Luke noticed Jaina, Jacen and Anakin were exchanging glances with each other with surprise in their eyes.

"We are entering the space near Camaas," Ozzel replied.

Vader nodded before glancing at Luke. "Stay here," he ordered silently and Luke nodded before watching as Vader made his way out of the training room. Luke walked over to join Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina, wondering why his father told him to stay here.

Jacen glanced at him as Luke sat down beside Jaina. "It's strange, I've known you, in the future, for all of my life, and yet it seems strange that you are unable to talk," he commented.

_Well, if these Yuuzhan Vong really did cause the future to change then I guess that's what really caused me to be mute. I wish I could speak, it would definitely make my life easier, _Luke replied silently to Jacen's question.

Jacen smiled slightly. "I'm sure you'll get your voice back, if what Qui-Gon says is true," he said.

_What do you mean?_ Luke asked silently, projecting his thought through the Force.

"Qui-Gon said, _what was silent shall now speak_, and I figure that means you'll gain your voice back," Jacen replied with a slight shrug. "Do you want to continue to spar?"

_Sure_, Luke replied before he stood up and ignited his lightsaber, Jacen ignited his own blade and the two of them started off at a stalemate.

~*~

Vader knelt before the larger than life holoprojection of Emperor Palpatine. "What is thy bidding, my master?" he asked keeping his head lowered.

"Lord Vader, where are you currently located?" Palpatine asked his cool yellow eyes narrowing.

"We have just entered the Camaas system, master," Vader replied.

"Good, I want you to travel to Carida, there is a Stormtrooper training facility on that planet and I want you to check on their training," Palpatine ordered and Vader frowned.

_Not even a day ago he wanted me to go to Coruscant and now he wants me to go to Carida, what's going on?_ He wondered silently. "Yes my Master," he replied out loud keeping his head lowered slightly.

"Very well then, contact me when you reach Carida," Palpatine ordered.

"Yes Master," Vader replied keeping his head lowered and Palpatine nodded once before his holographic image disappeared and Vader stood up before narrowing his eyes as he made his way out of the communication chambers.

He narrowed his eyes slightly as he came near the training area, he was thinking about Palpatine, he knew that Palpatine was keeping something from him and he was beginning to think that it had something to do with the Yuuzhan Vong from the future.

He walked into the training area in time to see Jacen and Luke sparring back and forth, their lightsabers flashing and he noticed that Luke was holding his own against the more experienced Jedi he was battling. Luke's lightsaber was flashing almost on instinct as if he could some how figure out what was coming before it happened.

"Wow," Jacen breathed his eyes going wide with shock as he stopped another blow to his legs from Luke's lightsaber. "It seems a Skywalker has talent with a lightsaber even before he has had any lightsaber training and yet I beat you the first time and this time you nearly beat me."

Luke seemed to glow with happiness.

Jacen laughed. "Come on, why don't we meditate for a while?" he suggested.

Luke nodded once before deactivating his lightsaber and putting it away, Jacen did the same before he glanced at Vader. "Hello Anakin," he greeted him and Vader had to bite his lip to keep from scowling at the mention of the name he once held fifteen years ago.

"Hello," Vader replied with a slight dip of his head. "We are heading toward Carida as of now."

_I thought the Emperor wanted to meet me,_ Luke protested silently.

_He's keeping something from me, Luke, and I have a feeling it has something to do with the Yuuzhan Vong, _Vader replied silently.

Luke nodded slightly before glancing at Jacen and Jaina who were talking with each other and Anakin walked over to join Vader and Luke. "I've never seen Carida before," he commented. "Where I come from, Carida was destroyed."

"Really?" Vader echoed his eyes shooting wide with shock. _Why would someone destroy Carida?_ He wondered silently as he began to pace across the training area.

Luke glanced at Jacen and Jacen shook his head. "No Carida was destroyed before the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy," he replied.

Vader narrowed his eyes slightly but didn't reply to Jacen's statement. "We will be arriving at Carida in a few days at the must and I think it would be best if the four of you stay here while I check on the training facility on Carida," he said his eyes still narrowed slightly.

Luke glanced at him. _But why? _He protested silently.

Vader glanced at his son. _You will be safer here, Son,_ he replied silently. _And I promise I'll be back soon._

Luke nodded slightly before glancing at Anakin who smiled slightly, as though he was listening to an unspoken thought, which he probably was. "Sure we can continue to train, it is quite interesting to train the person who trained me," he commented.

Luke smiled and Vader knew that if he had been able to speak, he probably would have laughed at that statement. He began to wonder if Qui-Gon's words really are true. _If we win, will Luke truly regain his speech? And will I…?_ Vader didn't bother finishing his last thought as he continued to pace in the hallway.

~*~

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the city of Aldera and he guided the shuttle toward the landing pad outside of the palace where Bail Organa, his wife and Leia were staying. Beru and Owen were exchanging glances with each other. Han and Chewbacca were flying next to them in the _Millennium Falcon_.

Obi-Wan landed the ship on the pad and spotted Organa making his way down from the palace with the fifteen-year-old Leia Organa just behind him. The _Millennium _Falcon landed right beside the shuttle before Han and the wookie walked out of the ship and Obi-Wan led the way out of his ship with Beru and Owen just behind him.

"Hello Obi-Wan," Bail greeted him though his dark eyes were narrowed slightly. "What are you doing here? You were very vague when we spoke last after all."

"Hello Organa," Obi-Wan replied dipping his head in greeting before gesturing to Beru and Owen. "This is Beru and Owen Lars."

"Lars?" Bail echoed. "But I thought…" He paused before glancing at Leia. "Leia, why don't you go out to the gardens for a while and let me catch up with an old friend?"

"Okay father," Leia replied smiling before she turned around and jogged away, Han was literally staring after her with huge eyes.

"You've got to be kidding me," he exclaimed and, when everyone glanced at him, he quickly looked away. "Sorry, Chewie told me a surprising story." Chewbacca growled in anger but Han threw him a quick, 'go along with it' look and Chewbacca grunted in reply.

"What are they doing here? What about Luke?" Bail asked when Leia was out of earshot.

"Vader has his hands on Luke," Obi-Wan explained. "But something all the more complicated has happened. It would appear a group of enemies from the future came to the past a few centuries before the Invasion of Naboo and that caused a ripple in the future that caused Luke to be born mute and Vader to never be burned."

"What happened?" Bail asked.

"A group of beings known as the Yuuzhan Vong have come to the past from the distant future," Obi-Wan replied. "And they are more evil than Emperor Palpatine and I have a feeling that only the Chosen One of the Jedi Prophecy can defeat this new threat."

"But the Chosen One is Anakin and…" Bail broke off before shrugging.

"Vader's changing, Bail, he's leaning toward the light side of the Force, my former master would not have been able to appear to him if that were not so. It is because of Luke, Luke's presence around Vader is driving him back toward the light side of the Force. If we continue to work at this then there is a chance Anakin will return," Obi-Wan replied.

Bail sighed. "I can't say if that is true," he muttered. He glanced at Beru and Owen. "You may stay with us if you want, Mr. and Mrs. Lars," he added.

"Thank you, Bail," Beru replied dipping her head slightly, her graying-blonde hair falling over her shoulder.

Bail smiled. "Come, I would like to introduce you to Leia," he said. Beru and Owen nodded and Obi-Wan glanced at Han and Chewbacca.

"By the way, this is Han and Chewbacca," he said gesturing toward the pilot and the wookie.

"Hello," Bail greeted them.

"We don't want to intrude, if ya want, we can leave," Han said a bit hesitantly and Obi-Wan got the impression he wasn't used to talking this way toward people.

Bail shook his head. "You are welcomed," he replied before he began walking toward the palace with Beru, Owen, Han and Chewbacca. He glanced over his shoulder at Obi-Wan who stayed were he was.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I have business elsewhere," he replied. He decided the best thing that he could do is visit Yoda and figure out what he can do to get out of this mess.

~*~

Yoda glanced up with narrowed eyes as the Imperial Shuttle landed in the swamp and he clambered out of his hut. He knew that it wasn't imperials that was visiting him because he felt the Force presence of Obi-Wan onboard the ship. He stopped when he reached the ship as Obi-Wan leapt out of the shuttle before walking over to join Yoda.

"Hello Master Yoda," he greeted the little green dwarf.

"Obi-Wan, why here you are? Guarding Luke you should be," Yoda pointed out his beady little eyes narrowing slightly.

"I know, Master, but Vader found out about Luke and Luke is with him right now but the situation has become complicated," Obi-Wan replied and quickly he explained what happened with Jaina, Jacen and Anakin Solo getting sent back from the future as well as the Yuuzhan Vong coming from the future as well. When he was finished explaining about the Yuuzhan Vong's intentions to kill Luke, who is going to be the founder of the New Jedi Order, he paused and waited for Yoda's reply.

Yoda narrowed his eyes. "Sensed this I did not," he said softly. "Complicated this has become."

"Indeed it has, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin said that if they win, the galaxy will go back on its' intended course, the course that leads to the founding of the New Jedi Order," Obi-Wan replied with a shrug.

Yoda nodded. _Why send these Solo children to the past did the Force? _he wondered silently. "Defeat the Yuuzhan Vong we must or destroyed the future shall be," he declared.

Obi-Wan nodded but a sudden disturbance in the Force caused Yoda to stagger back a few steps. "Here a sense of darkness has come," he said. "Great this darkness is, from the Yuuzhan Vong I think it is."

"The Yuuzhan Vong?" Obi-Wan echoed his eyes shooting wide with shock. "But why are they here?"

Yoda shook his head. "Know that I do not," he replied.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: I had to cut it off there because I don't know what the Yuuzhan Vong ships look like**

**Darth: yeah, you said that in your beginning author's note**

**Blaze: oh shut up Dad**

**Darth: make me**

**Blaze: Vader?**

**Vader: (ignites lightsaber)**

**Blaze: nothing drastic!**

**Vader: dang it (deactivates lightsaber, picks up Darth and tosses him into a huge cappuccino)**

**Darth: coffee!**

**Palpypie: mmmm coffee**

**Vader: (pulls out lightsaber)**

**Luke: (pulls out nuclear tipped rocket launcher)**

**Jaina: (pulls out firebomb)**

**Anakin: (leaps into a tank)**

**Chewie: (pulls out crossbow)**

**Han: (pulls out blaster)**

**Blaze: (pulls out lightsaber)**

**Jacen: (pulls out a stick) what the hell?!**

**Palpypie: hahahahahaha**

**Jacen: (tosses stick at Palpypie before pulling out bazooka)**

**Palpypie: damn I should have kept my mouth shut, Lord Tyrannus help me**

**Dooku the Friendly Ghost: I'm a ghost, you idiot**

**Palpypie: ahhhh! (Takes off running)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter nine as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Blaze: yay! Time for chapter 9**

**Darth: is…?**

**Blaze: no**

**Darth: whhhhhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?**

**Blaze: oh for crying out loud (presses button on remote)**

**Padmé: what the…?**

**Darth: PADME!**

**Padmé: who are you?**

**Blaze: Padmé, Darth**

**Padmé: are you a Sith?**

**Darth: why would I be with that idiot Palpypie?**

**Palpypie: that's mean**

**Padmé: Palpypie? Ha, that's nice**

**Anakin: (growls)**

**Blaze: ANAKIN! (Tackles Anakin)**

**Anakin: um hi?**

**Padmé: (growls)**

**Blaze: (glares at Padmé)**

**Padmé: (glares at Blaze)**

**Blaze: here's chapter nine and I would like to thank Imperial warlord and She-Who-Has-A-Very-Long-Name for helping me with the description of Yuuzhan Vong ships, thank you (hands out Palpypie voodoo dolls to the two mentioned above)**

**Darth: and?**

**Blaze: and the other Yuuzhan Vong mentioned might not be exactly who they are or what they did in cannon and that's because, once again, I will never read that series.**

**Chapter Nine**

The ship that was in orbit around Dagabah was an unusual ship, it was made entirely out of dark yorik coral. It was a large ship, very nearly as big as a Star Destroyer but the biggest of the ships was the one in front. The capital ship, known as the Worldship, was the ship that was currently transporting the Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong, Shimmra Jamaane.

Shimmra was standing just outside of the viewpoint windows at the dark green swamp planet of Dagabah. He didn't remembered seeing this planet when he invaded the galaxy back in the future nor the time when he came to the past the first time in an attempt to stop the damn Jedi Master Luke Skywalker from ever being born.

It didn't work out that way and Shimmra realized that the only way to kill Luke Skywalker would be to do it before the Jedi Master turned into a Jedi Master. With Skywalker out of the way, Shimmra would have the galaxy for his taking and finally have complete control over it all.

The Yuuzhan Vong were a different sort of race, different from humans, from Twi'leks, from Togrutas, and from so many of the other species. Shimmra, at this moment, was a bit frustrated, the small blue sacks beneath his eyes were together from the frustration he was currently feeling. He couldn't seem to pinpoint the location of the future Jedi Master Skywalker and that Emperor Palpatine didn't help him at all.

_I will have to take matters into my own hands,_ Shimmra thought as he continued to gaze through the windows. Though Yuuzhan Vong couldn't speak Basic, they were able to understand the Basic language and they were able to acquire a way to speak with humans in basic tongue in order to find the location of the future Jedi Master that caused his clan so much trouble.

It was Nom Anor that informed Shimmra the best way to find a Jedi he could use to find Skywalker would be a place most hidden from Force users. Nom had to research a lot behind this to find the right planet after they left Coruscant and he finally came up with a name, Dagabah.

_Who would want to come here?_ Shimmra mused silently his eyes locked on the planet before him that he didn't notice when someone else approached him. "Supreme Overlord?" the Yuuzhan Vong member said in the language of the Vong clan and Shimmra turned his gaze to him.

"Yes?" he asked in the same language. He recognized the Vong as Nas Choka, one of the few members of his Clan to ever know the Jedi Master Skywalker and live to tell the tale.

"We have sensed two life forms on the planet, one is human but I cannot seem to determine what the other species is. I also sense that they are both Force sensitive but I cannot be sure if my information is correct," Choka replied.

"I see, send out a few Coral Skippers and flush these Jedi out, with any luck, they will be able to lead us to that dreaded Master Skywalker," Shimmra ordered.

"Yes sir," Choka replied before issuing the order to a lesser man in rank and the other Vong issued the order to a few pilots of Coral Skippers.

The blue sack beneath his eyes betrayed the delight Shimmra was feeling, Shimmra was looking forward to torturing and then killing the dreaded Jedi Master Luke Skywalker so that he may take over the galaxy. This time there will be no one out there to stop Shimmra from taking what he believes is rightfully his.

~*~

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as he spotted ships flying over the swamp, they were unlike any ship that he has ever seen before in his life. Yoda was also gazing at them, his beady little eyes narrowing slightly. "Grave this is," Yoda murmured. "Found us the Yuuzhan Vong have."

A blaster fire shot through the forest and Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber and managed to send the blaster fire back at where it had come from. He didn't know where the blaster fire had come from but he figured it was from the Yuuzhan Vong ships.

"Go you must, warn young Skywalker you will," Yoda ordered.

"I am not leaving you, Master," Obi-Wan protested.

"Leave here I cannot, find me in the galaxy should I leave Palpatine and Vader will," Yoda said in a soft tone.

"Master Yoda, you can help defeat this group, or at least help to protect Luke. If Luke dies, the entire New Jedi Order will die as well. That was why Jacen, Jaina and Anakin were sent back in time, they are supposed to protect Luke and we are going to need all the help we can get. If we can stop the Yuuzhan Vong, we can prevent the Jedi Order from never being reborn," Obi-Wan pointed out his gray-blue eyes narrowing.

Yoda sighed. "Correct you are, stay clear of Palpatine I shall but go with you I will," he said. Obi-Wan nodded before kneeling down and helping Yoda onto his back, with that, he hurried toward his ship and quickly climbed into the Imperial shuttle. He was only lucky the shuttle had weapons or else he might never have made it past the Yuuzhan Vong blockade.

Placing Yoda in the co-pilot seat, the little green dwarf working quickly to try and get the weapons functional, Obi-Wan started the ship up before taking off into the sky. He noticed that the ships that were attacking them looked as they were made out of coral material. They had weapons that looked as though they were far more advanced than weapons Obi-Wan was used to but he managed to avoid many of the blaster fire.

"Are the weapons functional?" asked Obi-Wan.

"Weapons functional they are," Yoda replied.

"Ship coming in at .04," Obi-Wan said narrowing his eyes as he put the shuttle on its' side and Yoda let loose a blaster fire that got the coral like ship and it exploded.

"Flown in battle since the Clone Wars I have not," Yoda said his beady eyes narrowing before he blasted another coral ship, this one didn't explode but it did limp back the way it had come.

A series of fire caught the side of the Imperial shuttle Obi-Wan was flying and he swore. "Blast, I've always hated flying because of this," he complained. "I'm much too old for this."

Yoda let out a small chuckle. "Come, concentrate you will," he said.

"Yes Master Yoda, ship coming in at .05," Obi-Wan said pointing in the direction he had said and Yoda quickly moved the laser in the direction that Obi-Wan indicated and let loose a series of fire that caught the coral ship unaware and sent it spiraling into another ship, causing both of them to explode.

"Two for one, not bad, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan commented.

"Sit around doing nothing during the wars I did not, Obi-Wan," Yoda pointed out as he fired another shot that caught a coral ship and sent it spinning away, clearing a path through the blockade. Obi-Wan quickly flew the ship through the blockade before punching in the coordinates for the Alderaan system and pulling the hyperspace lever. The stars disappeared into starlines which in turn turned into the bluish white flashes of hyperspace as they left Dagabah behind.

~*~

When Vader's shuttle had left the hangar bay of the Super Star Destroyer in the direction of Carida, Luke watched his father go before turning his gaze to Jaina who was standing at his side. Anakin and Jacen were sitting nearby, talking with each other quietly and Luke didn't understand what they were talking about.

"You know, I would never have guessed you looked like this when you were fifteen," Jaina commented and Luke turned to look at her. "Well I guess that's because I'm used to the older version of you, you are a great Jedi in the future and I hope that I won't do something that will cause that never to happen."

_Out of curiosity, you said that if we defeat the Yuuzhan Vong, everything will go back on the course it was meant to go on, what exactly does that mean?_ Luke asked silently.

Jaina stiffened but slowly relaxed and Luke figured she was still getting used to speaking to Luke through the Force. "I don't know, all I know is that when we defeat the Yuuzhan Vong, the future will return to normal. What I'm afraid of is if we defeat the Vong then someone we," Jaina gestured to herself and her siblings, "deeply care about will get killed."

_The future is also in constant motion, isn't it? What if defeating the Yuuzhan Vong, driving them back into the future, will end up changing the events that led to your friend's death? What if, because I was born mute and my father wasn't burned, some things in the future will be changed and they can't be changed back?_ Luke replied silently.

"So you're saying that because you are mute and your father was never burned, something in the future will change and it will be unchangeable," Jaina said phrasing it as a statement.

_I would guess so,_ replied Luke silently.

Jaina smiled. "Do you want to duel?" she asked curiously.

_Okay then,_ Luke replied. He ignited his father's blue blade before facing his future niece and Jaina ignited her purple lightsaber before swinging it at Luke who blocked the blow. He quickly swung the lightsaber toward Jaina's legs but she flipped backwards to avoid the blow before thrusting her saber toward Luke who ducked and blocked the blow.

Anakin and Jacen turned their attention to Luke and Jaina as the two of them continued to parry. By the time Luke and Jaina managed to come to a stalemate, Jacen stood up before walking over to join them.

"You're getting better," he commented turning his brown gaze to his future Uncle.

_Thanks, _Luke replied silently.

Jacen smiled before stiffening slightly. "The Yuuzhan Vong are here," he murmured.

Jaina frowned and Luke felt her stretch out with the Force. "They are not close by but it would seem we managed to arrive in the past before they did," she said.

_Why do the Yuuzhan Vong want me again?_ Luke asked silently.

Jaina sighed. "Like I said, you are the founder of the New Jedi Order and the New Jedi Order has caused the Yuuzhan Vong a lot of pain when they invaded the galaxy in the future," she replied. "So I figure they want to kill you so that the New Jedi Order never comes to be."

Luke frowned. _But how am I supposed to defeat them when I don't have as much training in the Force as my older self?_ he asked silently.

"You forget that we're here with you," Anakin pointed out walking to his siblings side. "And you have your father as well as Obi-Wan to help you out and, from what your future self has told me, both of them were very powerful in the Force and I think they can help to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong."

_I hope so,_ Luke replied silently.

"Do you want to keep sparring?" Jaina asked.

_Sure_, Luke replied silently.

As the two of them began sparring back and forth, their lightsabers flashing in the dim lit hangar bay, it wasn't long before Vader's modified Imperial shuttle landed in the hangar bay. Luke was still struggling to fend off Jaina's purple lightsaber when he felt his father's presence behind him. The brief distraction allowed Jaina to get the advantage but Luke still managed to hold his own against his niece.

_Remember, Luke, don't let anything distract you, let the Force flow through you and guide your steps. Do not let anything or anyone near or around you distract you from your intended goal,_ his father's voice sounded in the vaults of his mind and Luke slowly calmed himself. He stretched out with the Force before letting the bright energy flow through him, his eyes narrowed and his lightsaber began flashing back and forth in furious strokes.

Jaina had to leap backwards to avoid the blade, her eyes widening with shock and then she smiled. "Looks like you're getting better at lightsaber swordsmanship," she commented. "Why don't we try a two on one attack?"

_Sure thing_, Luke said silently. He continued to let the Force flow through him as Anakin leapt into the battle, his blue lightsaber igniting and the blue blade quickly flashing toward Luke who managed to block the blow with his own lightsaber. While the three of them continued to fight, Jacen made his way to Vader's side and watched the fight as it continued to travel throughout the area around the hangar bay.

Luke found himself leaping onto droids and ships to avoid Jaina and Jacen and he was a bit surprised to find himself able to do such a thing. _How am I able to do this?_ He wondered silently.

"The Force is guiding your steps," Anakin said in reply to Luke's statement. He leapt on top of an Imperial shuttle to attack Luke who quickly dodged and barely managed to escape Jaina who had managed to appear behind him.

Luke lost his balance and tumbled down form the ship before he crashed onto the floor of the hangar bay on his back. He got to his feet as Anakin and Jaina quickly leapt at him, their lightsabers flashing rapidly and Luke barely managed to avoid them but both of them caused him to lose his balance. He crashed onto the ground and Anakin and Jaina pointed their lightsabers at his throat.

"That was a good match," Jacen commented.

Jaina and Anakin deactivated their lightsabers before helping Luke to his feet. "This is the first time we've ever been able to best Luke Skywalker," Anakin commented.

Jaina smiled. "But then again, the Luke in the future is much more experienced than this Luke," she added.

_I'm right here you know,_ Luke said silently.

Anakin laughed. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll become the Jedi Master you are in the future," he commented.

_If we can defeat the Yuuzhan Vong_, Luke muttered silently.

He glanced up as his father made his way to his side. "You are going to be all right, Luke," Vader said softly. "I will not allow the Yuuzhan Vong to kill you, no matter what." Luke noticed there was something in his voice that made him narrow his eyes. His father was keeping something from him but Luke, for the life of him, couldn't seem to figure out what it was.

"Why don't we head back to Alderaan and check to make sure the Yuuzhan Vong haven't arrived there yet?" Anakin suggested. "I have a feeling the Supreme Overlord of the Vong is after Leia as well as you, Uncle. He knows that if Leia dies, we will never be born and that will be three less Jedi to oppose him when he returns to the future."

Vader stiffened at Luke's side. "Are you saying that my son and my daughter are prime targets of the Yuuzhan Vong?" he demanded.

"Yes, even Han Solo and Mara Jade are targets, if Han dies, we'll never be born, if Mara dies, Luke won't become the Jedi Master he is meant to be," Anakin replied.

_What about Father?_ Luke asked silently. Jaina, Jacen, Anakin and Vader exchanged glances but none of them replied to Luke's question and that, alone, sent a shiver of horror go down Luke's spine.

~*~

Yoda narrowed his eyes as the Imperial shuttle came out of hyperspace near Alderaan before he turned his beady gaze to Obi-Wan. "Here why are we?" he asked.

"We need to think about Leia, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied calmly, turning his gray-blue gaze to the little green dwarf. "If Leia dies then the three Jedi that were sent to the past to prevent the Yuuzhan Vong from destroying the future of the New Jedi Order will never be born."

"And young Skywalker? Alive he must stay?"

"Yes Master, the Solo siblings said that if Luke dies then the New Jedi Order will never arise," said Obi-Wan.

"What of older Skywalker?" Yoda asked.

"That I do not know," Obi-Wan replied as he guided the shuttle toward Alderaan. He narrowed his eyes slightly as a Super Star Destroyer suddenly entered the system and Yoda narrowed his eyes as well.

"Here Vader is but why?" the little green dwarf wondered out loud.

"I can't say," the old Jedi Master replied with a slight shrug.

"Imperial Shuttle, where is your destination?" a voice sounded over the comlink and Obi-Wan let out a long sigh.

"He's bound to know we're here anyway," he murmured to Yoda.

"True that is," Yoda said with a sigh.

"Imperial Shuttle to the _Executor_, we are acquaintances to Lord Vader and we wish to speak to him," Obi-Wan said into the comlink.

"Please hold," the voice said and there was a long moment of silence before the voice came back again, "Lord Vader wishes to speak with you before you land, I will retransmit the communication to his private comlink."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan replied.

It was a long moment before Vader's voice sounded on the comlink. "What do you want, Kenobi?" he demanded angrily.

"You see? I told you he knew we were here," Obi-Wan murmured to Yoda.

"Need your sass I do not," Yoda snapped.

"Sorry Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied before he turned back to the comlink. "We need to speak with you Anakin."

"My name is VADER!" Vader said angrily.

"Nonetheless, Anakin, things have become complicated. I know that you told me to stay away from you but the Yuuzhan Vong have made their presence known," Obi-Wan replied.

A loud string of swear words echoed through the comlink. "Very well, you may land in landing bay 3, I will await you there with the others," Vader said angrily and then he disconnected the transmission and Obi-Wan frowned.

"He never even questioned the fact that I said 'we' and not 'I'," he mused silently.

"Tell I'm here he cannot," Yoda said and Obi-Wan nodded before guiding the Imperial shuttle on landing bay 3. He shut down the shuttle before making his way out of the ship with Yoda just behind him.

_Ben!_ A loud shout through the Force sounded just before a fifteen year old Skywalker cannoned into Obi-Wan and hugged him tightly.

Obi-Wan chuckled. "Nice to see you again, Luke," he said out loud hugging Luke back.

Luke stepped back before narrowing his eyes as he gazed at Yoda curiously, the little green dwarf was at the base of the ramp gazing around with narrowed beady little eyes. _Who's that, Ben?_ He asked silently.

"That's Master Yoda, he's a Jedi as well," Obi-Wan replied, Obi-Wan could already tell that Vader was angry, the anger flew at him through the Force and very nearly knocked him over.

"Master Yoda," Vader said coolly.

"Darth Vader," Yoda replied his voice equally as cold.

"I am a bit surprised you managed to stay alive this long but then again, Kenobi survived so I figured you would," Vader said.

Yoda narrowed his beady little eyes. "The dark side I sense in you, become a monster you have, like Maul and Dooku before you," he said.

Vader scowled. "Dooku was an idiot who ended up dying and so was Maul," he snapped. "And its' not as if you don't have anger in you, everyone has anger in them. All I know is I am not ashamed for why I became a Sith, I am not ashamed for trying to save my wife's life."

"Caused her death you did," Yoda retorted.

Vader flinched and Luke gazed at him with fear in his eyes. "I tried everything I could think of to save her, I did everything, I sacrificed everything to save her and she resented me for it, she resented me for trying to save her life," he murmured.

"Anakin, Padmé knew from the very beginning that there was good in you, in her dying breath she said there was still good in you. If you would only let go of your anger and your guilt you would understand that," Obi-Wan said softly.

Vader snarled at him. "You know nothing of my life, Kenobi," he hissed angrily. "You turned her against me, you caused this to happen. You were always the perfect Jedi who did everything right and never broke the Jedi Code."

Obi-Wan's eyes flashed with slight anger. "Anakin, you know nothing, you make me out to be an emotionless Jedi with nothing to live for other than the Jedi but that's not true. I have been in love before but my love ended as tragically as yours did. That's why love is forbidden to the Jedi Order because sooner or later your love will end in tragedy," he snapped.

Vader snorted. "You've never been in love," he retorted.

"Siri Tachi."

"What are you talking about?" Vader said his eyes narrowing.

"I was in love with Siri Tachi, Anakin, just as you were in love with Padmé but Siri died just as Padmé died. I know the pain you felt when your wife died, I know it because I blamed myself for her death just as you blame yourself for Padmé's death," Obi-Wan replied.

"Fell in love you did?" Yoda echoed.

"If you do not mind me interrupting but we have other matters to worry about," Jacen said walking over to join them with Jaina and Anakin.

"Hello Solo siblings," Yoda greeted them.

"Hello, I remembered Uncle Luke told us about you," Anakin commented smiling slightly.

"Yes, he said you were a great Jedi Master who taught him much during the waning years of the Empire under Emperor Palpatine's rule," Jacen said.

"But we cannot talk about this now, we have to think about the Yuuzhan Vong. If Luke and Leia die then the New Jedi Order, as well as us, will never come to be," Jaina replied.

"Where are the Vong now?" Vader asked turning his angry gaze from Obi-Wan to Jaina.

"In the Dagabah system they are," Yoda replied. "Protect Leia and Luke we must, work together we must as well."

"I am not working with Kenobi," Vader snapped angrily.

"Then die your son will," Yoda retorted and Vader stiffened before lowering his head and not saying anything in reply. Obi-Wan realized though Vader didn't like him at this moment, his love and protectiveness toward his son will allow him to work with Obi-Wan, even though he didn't want to.

"If it will protect my son and my daughter's lives then I will work with him," Vader said.

"Hopefully enough that will be," Yoda said gravelly and Obi-Wan got the impression that Yoda didn't know if they will be able to win against this new threat and he couldn't help but agree with the wizened old Jedi Master.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: yay! That was chapter nine**

**Darth: its' about time**

**Tigerstar: yup**

**Palpypie: must…destroy…something!**

**Tigerstar and Darth: (exchange glances) what's he talking about?**

**Vader: I told him that he can't use the Death Star for another three years**

**Palpypie: must…destroy…something!**

**Vader: well?**

**Blaze: oh yeah, we are going to start clashing with the events of ANH and the rest of the original trilogy but it will be very different**

**Vader: how?**

**Blaze: for one, Empire Strikes Back never happens and most of A New Hope and Return of the Jedi doesn't happen**

**Darth: what about?**

**Blaze: I'm getting to that, I do love Anakin very much, Anakin Skywalker that is, but some events in upcoming chapters are going to be hard to write**

**Darth: yeah, yeah, yeah**

**Blaze: so please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Blaze: sad, sad, sad, sad, sad, sad**

**Darth: what's the matter with you?**

**Blaze: a later chapter**

**Darth: ah**

**Blaze: you don't care! (Runs off to cry to Anakin)**

**Anakin: (awkwardly attempts to comfort Blaze) I'm going to kill Palpypie**

**Palpypie: but I didn't do anything!**

**Anakin: Blaze is sad and I blame you (stabs Palpypie with his lightsaber)**

**Palpypie: Blaze is sad because of you!**

**Anakin: what?! (Stabs Palpypie again)**

**Hades: stop doing that!**

**Anakin: sorry**

**Darth: (sighs) here's chapter ten and Blaze hopes that you like it and, once again, in response to one of her reviews, a future chapter is going to be extremely difficult for Blaze to write because of how this story is supposed to end**

**Chapter Ten**

Emperor Palpatine examined the holographic image of the nearly complete Death Star and he frowned slightly. He knew it would still be three more years until the Death Star was complete but he couldn't help but wait impatiently for the space station to be complete. He glanced over his shoulder at Grand Moff Tarkin who was at his side.

"I assure you, your Majesty, this battle station will be fully operational in three years time," Tarkin said. "I am heading off to the Death Star to oversee the rest of its' construction, if that is all right with you, your Majesty?"

"Of course, keep a look out for the Yuuzhan Vong while you are at it, Shimmra Jamaane sounded serious and I would not be surprised if he attempted to send out someone to try and track down the two he is looking for," Palpatine said.

"Do you know who Jamaane is talking about?" Tarkin asked.

Palpatine didn't reply, he didn't know about the Leia Organa Solo but he did know of Luke Skywalker, the boy that was the son of Palpatine's right hand man, Darth Vader. Palpatine wanted the boy as his apprentice and he knew that was the only reason he was keeping the boy's current location a secret.

He didn't know why Shimmra was here nor as to why he wants to kill Luke Skywalker but he had to prevent it if he wanted to keep his grip on the galaxy. Tarkin bowed before turning around and making his way out of the conference room and Palpatine made his way into his communication chambers.

_Time to contact Vader and hear the report from Carida, _he thought as he keyed in the frequency code to Vader's flagship, the Super Star Destroyer, the _Executor_ and he waited, once again impatiently, for Vader's response.

"Emperor Palpatine, this is a most unexpected surprise," Admiral Ozzel said saluting when his holographic image came into view in front of the Emperor.

"Where is Lord Vader?" Palpatine demanded not even bothering greeting Ozzel.

"He is in the hangar bay, your Majesty, I will contact him and tell him that you wish to speak with him right away," Ozzel said.

"Good." Ozzel's holographic image disappeared and Palpatine narrowed his eyes, wondering several things, for one, why was Vader in the hangar bay and for another, why did the frequency look as though it was contacting the Super Star Destroyer in the Alderaan system.

It wasn't long before the holographic comlink blazed to life and the image of Vader kneeling before him came to Palpatine. _It's about time,_ Palpatine thought impatiently.

"What is thy bidding, my master?" Vader asked keeping his head lowered.

"Lord Vader, I wish for an updated report on the Imperial Training Facility at Carida," Palpatine said in a cold voice.

"Yes, my Master, the training of new Stormtroopers is progressing quite well and many of the troopers are ready to go out into the galaxy and fight for the Empire," Vader replied.

"And of young Skywalker?"

"I have been unable to turn him, Master, as you requested, he is very stubborn but I assure you I am working on it," Vader replied.

"Very well, keep working on it and I must warn you, there is a new clan of beings that are out there, they are known as the Yuuzhan Vong," Palpatine said. "I just thought that I would let you know should you run into them."

"Yes my master."

"If you do run into them, at anytime, inform me immediately."

"Yes master."

Palpatine nodded once before he disconnected the transmission and gazed through the glass window of the Imperial Palace at the large skyscrapers that lay outside. The fluorescent and neon lights drifted through the palace windows as the sun went down and yet the city-planet was illuminated by the neon lights, making the night look very much like day.

As Palpatine made his way out of the communication chambers, he couldn't help but think about why Shimmra Jamaane wanted to kill the young Luke Skywalker.

~*~

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as he examined Luke, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin training nearby, they were meditating and Obi-Wan could tell several items in the hangar bay were starting to rise in the air. He also noticed it was coming mostly from Luke and not the twins and Anakin Solo.

Obi-Wan glanced at Yoda who was watching nearby with a keen patient expression on his face. "Good he is, become a great Jedi Master sooner or later he shall if kill him the Yuuzhan Vong do not," Yoda said softly.

"I'm sure we'll be able to keep Luke alive until we defeat the Yuuzhan Vong but I can't be sure about myself, you or Anakin, the Solo siblings won't talk with us about what happened to us in the future and I have a feeling Anakin knows but he won't tell us either," Obi-Wan said.

Yoda glanced at him. "Something happens, terrible it is but know what it is I do not," he said.

Obi-Wan let out a long sigh. "Master, what if we won't be able to save Luke?" he asked.

"We have to believe that we can save Luke and defeat the Yuuzhan Vong or else everything we've been working for since we arrived in the past would have been for nothing," Jaina said opening her brown eyes and gazing at Obi-Wan and Yoda.

_I think we will be able to stop these Yuuzhan Vong,_ replied Luke silently in response to Jaina's statement as he brought himself out of his meditation trance. _Besides, the Vong coming into the past has disrupted the entire course of the future and everything has changed. If we don't defeat the Vong then several things may never happen in the future._

"That sounds like something the older version of you would have said," Anakin commented.

"That's true," Jacen agreed. "What I think is that there is a small part of you that is the Jedi Grand Master that you are in the future."

"You just don't have enough training in the Force and you're a bit impatient so you aren't the Jedi Master you are in the future yet," Jaina added smiling slightly.

Yoda lowered his head. "Grave this threat is, threatening not just the Empire but the Alliance as well it is. If kill Luke they do then destroy the Empire and Alliance the Yuuzhan Vong shall. Join together the Alliance and the Empire must or face destruction they shall," he said.

"The Alliance would never agree to working with the Empire," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"And Emperor Palpatine would never agree to working with the Alliance," Vader added walking into the hangar bay with narrowed blue eyes as he examined his son.

_If the Yuuzhan Vong do kill me and destroy the galaxy then there won't be anything left for the Alliance and the Emperor to rule,_ Luke said silently.

"That is true but the Empire and the Alliance still wouldn't help each other even to face a common enemy," Vader replied. He paused for a moment before adding, "There is someone I can get in touch with that may help us but I cannot say if he will. He was exiled to the Unknown Regions for a mission that Palpatine wouldn't talk with me about but when we met, he said he respected me and he may help but I cannot say if he will."

"Who?" Obi-Wan asked.

Vader glared at him before turning his gaze back to Luke. "He is known as Grand Admiral Thrawn, his full name, from what he has told me, is Mitth'raw'nuruodo, but he prefers to go by Thrawn," he said. "Mainly because no one can pronounce his full name."

_Why was he exiled?_ Luke asked curiously opening his eyes, getting to his feet and joining Jaina, Jacen and Anakin joined them as well.

"I do not know, Emperor Palpatine ever spoke with me about it but Thrawn may be able to get the Chiss Empire to help us against the Yuuzhan Vong if we are to return the future to normal," Vader replied.

"Where is the Chiss Empire?" Obi-Wan asked.

"In the Unknown Regions. I think it would be best if we bring Princess Leia, Captain Han Solo and his co-pilot to the _Executor,_ they would be safer here than on Alderaan, especially if the Yuuzhan Vong do decide to attack and attempt to kill Luke and Leia," Vader said.

"Bail would never let Leia go with you so if it is all right with you, I think it would be best if Master Yoda and I go to Alderaan and attempt to convince Bail to let Leia come with us. Han and Chewbacca may come if we tell them it will be to protect Luke," Obi-Wan said.

Vader snorted. "I'm putting a lot on the line in trusting you, Kenobi," he said coolly. "But as Master Yoda said, if we do not work together than the Yuuzhan Vong will kill my children and destroy the galaxy. You'd better hope you are right about this, Master Yoda."

Yoda lowered his head. "Always in motion the future is," he said. "Impossible to see the future is right now."

_So we are going to bring Leia, Han and Chewie here and then go to the Unknown Regions and find this Thrawn?_ Luke asked silently gazing up at his father.

"Yes, I only hope that Leia will agree to come onboard the _Executor_," Vader replied.

"Go now we will," replied Yoda. "Use your shuttle we shall." Vader nodded once and Yoda waddled toward the shuttle with Obi-Wan just behind him. They both climbed into the Imperial Shuttle before making their way into the cockpit. When they started up the ship, the Imperial _Lambada_ shuttle rose up before flying toward the planet of Alderaan beneath them.

~*~

Senator Bail Organa glanced up with narrowed eyes as the Imperial Shuttle landed on the landing area. He walked down the walkway as the shuttle opened and Obi-Wan walked out of the shuttle with, surprisingly, Master Yoda behind him. Bail's dark gaze examined the two of them. "Hello Obi-Wan, Yoda, what are you two doing here?" he asked.

"Speak with you we must, in danger your adopted daughter is," Yoda said.

"The Empire?" Bail asked worry lacing his voice.

"No, something even worse than the Empire is after the children of Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan replied as he walked to Bail's side. "These creatures are known as the Yuuzhan Vong and they are planning on killing Leia to prevent three of the Jedi in the future from ever being born and killing Luke to prevent the New Jedi Order from ever rising."

"Let's speak inside before a trooper overhears us and tells the Emperor or Darth Vader," Bail said.

"Vader already knows about Luke and Leia," replied Obi-Wan. "But he also knows that they are in danger, as is Han Solo and another woman known as Mara Jade. We need to protect them from this upcoming threat."

Bail sighed before nodding and glancing over his shoulder. "Winter, will you find Leia, her droids, Han Solo and his co-pilot Chewbacca?" he called.

The white-haired woman nodded. "All right," she said before she turned around and made her way deeper into the palace at Aldera.

Bail turned his gaze to Obi-Wan and Yoda. "Leia won't like being around Vader," he said. "Besides she has been spending much time in the Senate, taking my place in many of the meetings for the last several years. She won't like hiding from this threat and I can't say if she'll believe me when I tell her. I can't say if I believe you myself."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply until a disturbance caught him and he staggered back a few steps. His eyes widened with shock. "That's the same feeling I felt above Dagabah," he said looking at Yoda.

"Sense the Force they cannot but found us they have, the Yuuzhan Vong here they are, leave we must immediately," Yoda said.

"What do you mean, they can't sense the Force? How else were they able to find us at Dagabah?"

"Most likely a computerized system they used but nonetheless, blind to Force users they are," Yoda replied softly.

Bail glanced over his shoulder just as Winter hurried over to join them with the fifteen year old Leia Organa behind him, Han and Chewbacca behind her and the two droids, See-Threepio and Artoo-Deetoo just behind them. "Leia, I want you, Han, Chewbacca and the droids to go with Obi-Wan," he said.

"But why?" Leia protested.

"You'll be safe with him, we need to get out of here," Bail replied. "Winter may go with you if it'll make you feel more comfortable but these creatures after you are dangerous."

"Who are these creatures?" Han asked.

"They are the same creatures after Luke," Obi-Wan replied.

"The Kid? Is he all right?"

"Yes, he's fine, for now, but we need to get back to…him before the Yuuzhan Vong find out that he's there, they are after him and Leia after all," the old Jedi Master replied, amending his statement as to not mention Vader's flagship because he knew Leia would protest if that happened.

A sudden series of blaster fire rained down from the sky above and Obi-Wan ignited his lightsaber before quickly blocking the blaster bolts, Yoda was doing the same, his lightsaber flashing though Obi-Wan noticed both of them were out of practice for the last fifteen years of being in hiding.

A ship made out of yorik coral landed next to the Imperial Shuttle and the blaster fire ceased. Leia shrank closer to Bail who glanced at her. "Go with Obi-Wan, I'll distract them as much as I possibly can," he said.

Leia swallowed but nodded and quickly made her way to join Obi-Wan, Han and Chewbacca joined them as well with Winter behind them. Bail glanced at them before moving until he was in front of Obi-Wan and Yoda.

The yorik coral shuttle opened up, a black haired alien with yellowish skin, a sloping forehead and blue eye sacks beneath his eyes. Bail noticed the creature also had a translator over his mouth and the Alderaanian figured that meant the creature didn't speak Basic. More aliens walked out of the shuttle and Bail noticed they were all armed with weapons.

"Who are you?" Bail demanded.

"I am Tsavong Lah, I am representing Supreme Overlord Shimmra Jamaane," the Yuuzhan Vong said through the translator. "I am looking for Leia Organa Solo."

Bail narrowed his eyes. "There is no one by that name here," he lied easily, mostly because part of what he said was true, Leia wasn't married so she didn't have the name Solo in her last name but Bail knew that if he mentioned there was a Leia Organa here, Tsavong would automatically see that Leia Organa is the Leia he is looking for.

"Very well and what of Luke Skywalker?" Tsavong asked.

"I know no one by that name," Bail replied, his hand, behind his back, signaled quickly to Obi-Wan who lowered his head only slightly before he gently guided Leia toward the Imperial _Lambada_ shuttle and Han and Chewbacca slowly made their way after him with Yoda and Winter bringing up the rear.

"So said Emperor Palpatine," Tsavong said coolly. "Supreme Overlord Shimmra Jamaane knows that Skywalker and Organa Solo are alive in this time period. We came too early to the past the last time but we have come at the right time now and we require knowing where Skywalker and Organa Solo are."

Bail had to hope that the _Executor_ wasn't in orbit around the planet because he was sure it wouldn't be long before Shimmra found out that Luke was onboard the _Executor._ _But if they have an absence in the Force, wouldn't that mean they won't be able to figure out if Luke is here? And is that the same with Leia?_ He wondered silently.

"I do not know where the ones you are seeking are," he said out loud.

"Do you know of whom we speak of?"

Bail thought about it for a moment, he knew that if he told the truth, Leia and Luke would be in danger. _But if I told the truth and lied at the same time, I could send the Vong on a wild goose chase away from Luke and Leia,_ he told himself silently. "Yes, I have heard of them," he said out loud. "Last I heard, they were seen near the Maw Cluster at Kessel," he lied easily.

Tsavong narrowed his eyes. "Very well, you better hope you are right because if you are not, you will regret it," he said coolly and by this time, Obi-Wan and the others had made their way into the Imperial Shuttle. Tsavong gestured toward the other Yuuzhan Vong and they turned around before making their way back into their coral shuttles.

When they disappeared into the shuttle, the Imperial Shuttle started up before climbing into the sky and flying rapidly into space. Tsavong, the last one to enter the shuttle, gazed after the Imperial Shuttle before looking at Bail. "Who was on that Shuttle?" he asked through the translator.

"Two old friends of mine, they are heading off to Klatooine," Bail lied.

Tsavong nodded sharply before disappearing into the ship and the ship closed up before it rose into the air and blasted off toward space. Bail watched them go and, fervently, hoping that the Yuuzhan Vong would not figure out that he had lied to them and find his adopted daughter.

~*~

Luke walked onto the hangar bay as the Imperial Shuttle landed and he gazed up at his father who was at his side. The shuttle landed and Obi-Wan made his way out of the ship with Yoda behind him, the familiar figures of Han Solo and Chewbacca came after him but the two newcomers were different. One was a young woman with white hair and the other was a slender woman that was about Luke's height with dark brown hair and chocolate eyes.

_Which one's Leia?_ He asked silently.

_I am pretty sure, she's the one walking beside the white haired woman,_ Vader replied silently.

Luke could tell that Leia was angry judging by the look in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded glaring at Obi-Wan's back.

"The Yuuzhan Vong don't know that he is here so they won't expect you to come here. If you had stayed on Alderaan, they would have killed you," Obi-Wan replied calmly.

Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin walked into the hangar bay behind Luke and Luke noticed they were examining Leia curiously. Luke figured they were a bit surprised to see their mother their own age but he also noticed they were restraining themselves from going over there and hugging Leia.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on? Why is Vader here? And why am I here?" Leia demanded.

"All will be explained in time, Princess," Vader replied calmly. "Right now, your safety is all that I care about now. We are heading out toward the Unknown Regions right now and I thought it would be safer to have you here because the Yuuzhan Vong will not be able to find you here."

"Where those strange creatures talking with my father the Yuuzhan Vong?" Leia asked and Luke felt his father wince at his side.

"Yes, they were, that was why Bail had to lie," Obi-Wan replied.

"Work together all of us must or destroy the future the Yuuzhan Vong shall," Yoda added.

"Destroy the future?" Leia echoed looking confused.

"Don't feel bad, your Highness, I was confused when they told me too," Han admitted.

Leia glared at him. "Why are you here then, laser-brain?" she demanded.

"How the kriff should I know, your Worshipfullness?"

"Ah, they definitely remind me of the Leia and Han in the future," Jacen whispered.

"Yes, they were always fighting in the future," Jaina agreed.

"It was actually pretty funny to watch," Anakin added.

"Why exactly are we going to the Unknown Regions?" Leia asked finally after a few moments of silence.

"Because the Empire will not help us against this upcoming threat and neither will the Rebel Alliance. The only reason this part of the Imperial Starfleet is helping is because they are more loyal to me than they are to the Emperor," Vader replied. "But we are going to need all the help we can get and I think it would be best if we got the Chiss Empire involved so that we will be able to meet this threat."

"Why are you doing this?" Leia asked.

"Because if we do not stop the Yuuzhan Vong, they will destroy the Empire, the Alliance and the galaxy at whole," Vader replied with a shrug.

Leia gazed at the others. "May we have some introductions? I already know you, Lord Vader, and I already know Obi-Wan so who are the others?" she asked.

"Jedi Master Yoda I am," Yoda said lowering his head in greeting.

"You already know us, Princess," Han said gesturing to Chewbacca at his side who growled in agreement.

Leia nodded once before looking at Luke, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin. "Who are you four?" she asked.

"I am Jacen Solo," Jacen said lowering his head in greeting.

"I'm Jaina Solo," Jaina added.

"And I'm Anakin Solo," Anakin replied.

"I see, who are you?" Leia asked turning her chocolate brown gaze to Luke.

_How can I tell her when she doesn't have any training in the Force and won't be able to hear me?_ Luke asked silently looking up at his father.

Vader nodded once in understanding. "This is Luke Skywalker, my son," he said calmly, the way he called Luke his son, the softness and unusual love in his voice, took everyone in the hangar bay, aside from the Solo siblings and Luke, by surprise.

"Why didn't he answer for himself?" Leia asked.

"Because he's mute, Princess," Vader replied.

"So why are the Yuuzhan Vong after me?" Leia asked though Luke noticed she looked a bit surprised at Vader's statement.

"It's not just you they are after, they are more intent on killing Luke than they are on killing you," Anakin replied.

Leia frowned. "Why?" she asked turning her gaze to Obi-Wan.

"The Solo Siblings can explain it better than I," Obi-Wan replied.

"It's simple really," Jacen said. "The three of us, as well as the Yuuzhan Vong Clan, were thrown into the past. The Yuuzhan Vong came to the past to make sure the New Jedi Order, that were beating them in the war against them, was never rebuilt. And in order to do that, they have to kill Luke Skywalker."

"Why him?"

"Because," Jaina was the one that replied this time, "Luke is the one that rebuilds the Jedi Order."

"The Jedi Order? But I thought Palpatine and Vader destroyed the Jedi Order."

Vader flinched at that and Luke gazed up at him, wondering why his father had flinched at that. Luke turned his gaze back to Jacen, Jaina and Anakin who were talking with each other. "If the Jedi Order is not rebuilt then the Yuuzhan Vong will rule the galaxy. You know how bad Emperor Palpatine is, don't you?" Anakin asked.

Leia nodded once.

"Imagine that but ten times, maybe a hundred times, worse, that is what the Yuuzhan Vong do, they don't care who they kill, they just enjoy the kill, they enjoy the pain they inflict on anyone and the only ones that have been able to stand up against them has been the Jedi Knights, the Order that Luke Skywalker rebuilds. If Luke dies then many innocent people are going to suffer and die because the Jedi Knights won't be able to protect them."

"But what about me?" Leia asked her eyes were wide with shock and a slight crawl of fear glittered in her eyes.

The Solo siblings exchanged glances again. "If you die," Jacen began.

"Then we will never be born," Jaina finished for her brother.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: wow, an eight page chapter**

**Darth: and off to the Unknown Regions we go!**

**Blaze: (laughs) the reason I did this is because, from what my dad has told me, the New Republic helped the Chiss against the Yuuzhan Vong and I thought it would be cool to have the Chiss help Vader and the others against the Vong**

**Darth: you just ruined the next chapter!**

**Blaze: not really**

**Darth: (scowls)**

**Blaze: (laughs)**

**Palpypie: Anakin's going to die!**

**Blaze: (begins crying and rushes off to Anakin)**

**Anakin: that does it (comforts Blaze while muttering an order to a polar bear nearby)**

**General of the Grand Army of Polar Bears: you know the plan, attack pattern Venture 325TI646V42S7UTKS9, now!**

**Grand Army of Polar Bears: yes sir (pull out bazookas, flamethrowers, nuclear tipped rocket launchers, blasters, lightsabers, crossbows and lasers) charge! (charges after Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: ahhhhhhh! (Runs away with the Grand Army of Polar Bears behind him)**

**Blaze: (sniffs) thanks, Anakin**

**Anakin: (hugs Blaze) no problem**

**Blaze: (faints in Anakin's arms)**

**Anakin: (sighs) please review and Blaze will post chapter eleven as soon as she possibly can but she doubts it will be anytime soon, probably next Thursday.**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Anakin: Blaze is still unconscious**

**Darth: still?**

**Anakin: yeah**

**Blaze: (wakes up) ANAKIN!**

**Anakin: uh hi**

**Blaze: (smiles)**

**Palpypie: Anakin's going to die, Anakin's going to die, Anakin's going to die!**

**Blaze: (begins crying before running off)**

**Anakin: stop doing that, you dumb idiot (slams a ten pound stone pie on Palpypie's head before going to comfort Blaze)**

**Palpypie: ow!**

**Darth: you're an idiot (shoots Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: ow!**

**Darth: here is chapter Eleven and Blaze hopes that you like it (walks off humming)**

**Chapter Eleven**

Shimmra was angry and the other Yuuzhan Vong members could tell that as well. Warmaster Tsavong had just returned and reported that their attempt to locate Leia Organa Solo and Luke Skywalker had failed and Shimmra wasn't too happy about it. The fact that the computerized system that holds information on Luke and Leia didn't help them was also adding to the anger. He also couldn't seem to figure out how the Jedi knew he was coming because of the fact that the Yuuzhan Cong do not have a Force presence. He figured they somehow were able to sense their ships.

"He must have lied," Shimmra muttered in the Yuuzhan Vong language. "That damn Senator of Alderaan must have lied. The computer said that Leia was born on Alderaan before it was destroyed so she should have been here."

"He did say that they may be at Kessel near the Maw Cluster," Nas Choka said in the same language.

"But if he lied about not knowing about Leia, he could be lying about where Organa Solo and Skywalker really are," Shimmra replied.

"What I think is they don't know where an Organa Solo is?" Nom Anor said. "We should be trying to look for Leia Organa, we know that Solo is the name she gained when she was married."

The sacks beneath his eyes shifted to show a thoughtful expression. "It could be but Skywalker is bound to have the same name," Shimmra said.

"I agree, and what of Han Solo and Mara Jade Skywalker, I think those two should be killed as well," Nas said.

"But I do not know where Han Solo or Mara Jade Skywalker is."

"We can always look them up in the computerized system, I will check if there are any records of Mara Jade, I will leave out her marriage name for now, or Han Solo," Nom said.

"Very good do that now," Shimmra ordered.

"Yes sir," Nom replied before he turned his gaze back to the navicomputer of the Worldship. Shimmra gazed at Nom for a long moment before he turned his gaze back to large window and space that lay in front of him.

~*~

Mara Jade narrowed her eyes as she made her way down the hallways of the _Executor._ Ever since her master had told her to spy on Lord Vader, she had taken a job as Vader's mechanic onboard the dark lord's flagship. She wasn't entirely sure as to where Vader was going nor as to what Vader was doing with the young mute boy Luke Skywalker.

Mara made her way down the hallway just as Lord Vader, along with Captain Piett, came up it. Vader stopped in front of her. "Jade," he greeted her his blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"My Lord," Mara replied lowering her head slightly in greeting. "The repairs on the ship are complete and I shall be returning to Coruscant now."

Vader's eyes narrowed even more. "No," he replied. "I have spoken with Emperor Palpatine and he wishes for you to stay here as my permanent mechanic."

Through her meager abilities in the Force, Mara was able to determine that he was speaking the truth and she didn't like that Palpatine hadn't talked to her first about this. "Very well," she said a bit coolly before she lowered her head as Vader nodded once and walked past her with Piett just behind him.

Mara watched them go before she turned around and made her way deeper into the ship. She paused when she spotted the slightly familiar figure walking beside a girl that was the same height as him. She recognized the first as the boy Vader was so interested in, Luke Skywalker, and she recognized the second as Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.

Behind the two of them came a light-brown-eyed man, a Wookie, and three people that looked so similar that they could only be kin. Luke came to a stop in front of Mara before lowering his head in greeting and Mara nodded once in reply.

"Who are you?" Leia asked narrowing her chocolate brown eyes.

"My name is Mara Jade, I am Lord Vader's mechanic," Mara replied with a shrug, her emerald green eyes narrowed slightly when she noticed the three siblings behind the wookie flinching slightly.

"I see, I am Princess Leia Organa and this is Luke Skywalker," Leia said gesturing to Luke who nodded once again in greeting.

"Yes, I remember Lord Vader speaking of him while I was aiding in the repairs in the hangar bay," Mara said. "Now if you will excuse, I must join the other mechanics." The Emperor's Hand lowered her head before she walked past the group and made her way down the hallway, still thinking as to why Palpatine didn't tell her first about her new permanent position.

~*~

_That's my future wife? She's cute,_ Luke commented silently gazing after Mara as the slightly older girl disappeared around the corner.

Jacen chuckled. "From what your future self has told me, you two met officially during a crisis involving the Grand Admiral we're going to see," he replied.

"And you married after a crisis involving a document from a planet known as Camaas," said Jaina.

"Wow, things certainly do change in the future," Han commented.

"Well of course they do, laser-brain, that's why its' called the future," Leia retorted.

"Well I didn't know that, your Highnessness," Han snapped back.

Luke smiled, if he could laugh he would have, and he turned around before making his way down the hallway toward the rooms that Vader had assigned them while they made their journey into the Unknown Regions. As he walked with the group, he couldn't help but think about the message this Qui-Gon had told the Solo siblings. _Nothing will ever be the same but what was silent shall now speak, what was wrong shall be righted, the prophecy shall be complete with the loss of the one that was chosen, the darkness shall be overthrown, and the future and past will once again be separated_, Qui-Gon had said to the Solo siblings.

_What could that mean?_ He wondered silently, he had a feeling as to what the second line meant. The part that said '_what was silent shall now speak_,' made him think he will be able to speak but he didn't know how. He also couldn't help but wonder what the line '_the prophecy shall be complete with the loss of the one that was chosen_,' meant.

Leia glanced at him. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Luke glanced at her, thinking about how he was supposed to tell her it was nothing. He remembered the data pad he kept with him at all times and he pulled it out before quickly writing '_it's nothing_' on it before handing it to Leia who read it before nodding and handing the data pad back.

"It must be hard getting used to not being able to speak," she said.

Luke wrote '_it can be, I've always wondered what my own voice sounded like but I've always been this way so it comes naturally to me nowadays,_' onto the pad before showing it to Leia.

"I'm sorry," Leia said in reply as she handed the pad back.

"If Qui-Gon is right in what he said then you will be able to speak again soon," Anakin said.

Leia's eyes narrowed as she glanced at the siblings. "You said you would explain why you wouldn't be born if I was killed," she said.

"Yes but let's wait until we get out of earshot of the others," Jaina replied.

Leia narrowed her eyes but she nodded once as Luke came to a stop outside of the chambers containing all of their rooms. Han narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at Luke. "Isn't this a bit small, Kid?" he asked.

'_Father gave it to me and said that half of it has one room big enough for the girls while the other is big enough for us and Chewbacca,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad before showing it to Han who sighed but nodded once in reply.

"At least we're getting separate rooms even if we have to share 'em," the nineteen-year-old pilot muttered in reply.

Luke smiled slightly before leading the way into the chambers and the others followed him, Leia's eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at the dark room. "Is there any light in here?" she asked.

Luke nodded before using the Force to turn on the fluorescent lights and narrowing his eyes as they slowly adjusted to the brilliant lights. The center of the room was composed of a couch, two chairs and a table in the center while two doors were on the walls straight across from each other.

"I'm guessing one of those is ours and the other is the girls' room," Han said and Chewbacca growled in agreement.

'_I guess so,_' Luke wrote down before showing the data pad to Han.

"Why don't we take that room," Jacen pointed to the left door, "and the girls can have the other."

"That's fine with me," Anakin said.

"What do ya say, Chewie?" Han asked turning his light brown gaze to the Wookie that was standing beside him. Chewbacca growled before gesturing with a furry paw swiftly and Han sighed.

"I know, I don't trust Vader either but since the Kid's here, we might as well stick it through," he said.

Chewbacca growled but nodded once in reply and followed Luke as he led the way toward the room and Jaina led Leia toward the other room. Han, Chewbacca, Jacen and Anakin followed Luke as he walked into the room.

Later that day, Luke and his newest companions were seated on the couch in the lounge between the two rooms. Leia was looking confused and Luke smiled gently at her before looking at Jacen. _Do you want to start?_ He asked silently pushing the thought out through the Force.

_Sure thing,_ Jacen replied silently before he turned his brown gaze to Leia, Anakin was leaning back on the couch, his ice-blue eyes were narrowed. "As you know, we, Jaina, Anakin and I, are from the future," he said turning his gaze back to Leia. "As are the Yuuzhan Vong."

"I get that but why is it that if I die, you won't be born?" Leia asked.

"It should be obvious, Leia," Anakin said sitting up before narrowing his eyes and adding, "we're your unborn kids."

Luke was glad that he was mute and couldn't laugh though a broad smile was crossing his facial features at the shock and disbelief that radiated off of Leia's face. "You're not serious, are you?" she exclaimed. "But your last name is Solo and that means…" she stopped before glancing at Han with huge eyes.

"It shocked me too," Han admitted.

Jacen chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't have been so blunt, Anakin," he said turning his brown gaze to his younger brother.

"Maybe but I just wanted to say that," Anakin replied.

"You can't be serious, why would I marry _this _scruffy looking nerfherder?" Leia exclaimed.

"Who's scruffy looking?" Han protested.

Luke's smile grew bigger and it didn't fade away when Leia glared at him. "Stop smiling," she protested.

'_But its' funny,_' Luke wrote onto the data pad before showing it to Leia who scowled angrily at him.

"By the way, where's the old man?" Han asked.

"You mean General Kenobi? I think he was last seen speaking with Vader," replied Jacen. "But I figure he's with Master Yoda talking about the plans against the Yuuzhan Vong."

"If this Yuuzhan Vong is as dangerous as everyone makes them out to be then do we stand a chance against them?" asked Leia.

"Maybe so maybe not," Jaina replied. "But that's why Vader is going into the Unknown Regions to get help from Grand Admiral Thrawn and, hopefully, the Chiss Empire as well."

"Thrawn? I've never heard of him," Leia admitted.

"Honestly, I haven't either," Han said.

Luke smiled. '_From what Father has told me, he is the only alien that Emperor Palpatine allowed to hold a high position in the Empire,_' he wrote onto the data pad before showing it to everyone.

"Oh okay," Leia said.

_I just realized something,_ Jacen said silently.

_What's that?_ Luke asked silently.

_You're my Uncle, Leia's my mother so that makes Leia your sister but that also means Vader's Leia's father too and I don't think Leia knows,_ Jacen said.

Luke pursed his lips together. _Neither do I, I think we should wait and let Father tell her himself,_ he said. He still was a bit surprised to know that he had a twin sister after all the years when he felt he didn't have any other family other than his aunt and uncle.

_Will Vader tell her?_ Jacen asked.

_I don't know,_ Luke admitted silently.

~*~

Vader narrowed his eyes as he walked into his meditation chambers to find Obi-Wan and Yoda already there. He had sent them ahead to his chambers because he knew if the Emperor's Hand Jade found out that Obi-Wan and Yoda were there, she would find some way to send the information to Emperor Palpatine.

Yoda glanced up at him. "Join us you have," he said. "Thought with your son you would be."

"Leia's with them and she doesn't entirely trust me so I figured it would be best if Luke and the others explained to her the truth," Vader replied with a shrug.

"I see."

"Are you absolutely sure Thrawn will help you against the Vong?" Obi-Wan asked.

Vader's eyes narrowed to tiny blue slits. "Thrawn will most likely understand that if the Yuuzhan Vong aren't defeated then the galaxy, including the Chiss Empire, would be destroyed," he replied calmly.

"Sense a change in you, I do, believed no one could return from the dark side I did but sense the conflict in you I do," Yoda said.

Vader blinked. "There _is no_ conflict within me," he snapped angrily.

"Deny it you may all you want but the truth it is," the little green dwarf-like creature replied. "But discuss that later we shall, bigger problems we have to discuss such as how anger the Yuuzhan Vong shall be when discover not going to Kessel we are."

"I do not think they will be able to locate us but we can't sense them if they somehow change ships because they have no Force presence," Vader said.

"Indeed, grave this is, a powerful enemy we have, with the Chiss Empire at our side, not enough they may be," Yoda said. "Help from the Rebel Alliance and the Empire we need."

"As I said Emperor Palpatine would never help us even it means letting the galaxy be destroyed," Vader pointed out.

"You are the second in command of the Empire, Anakin, if you have to, I'm sure you will be able to get the Empire to aid us but I cannot say the same for the Alliance," Obi-Wan pointed out.

Vader snorted. "The Alliance are a bunch of fools who would sooner see the galaxy destroyed than work with us," he said. "Besides the Emperor would never allow me to take complete command of the entire Imperial Starfleet or complete command of the galaxy as he has."

Obi-Wan sighed. "I guess that is true," he said.

"Less hope there is in winning this war," said Yoda gravelly.

~*~

Palpatine narrowed his eyes as he made his way down the hallways of the Imperial Palace after his talk with Lord Vader. He still wasn't entirely sure as to what Vader had planned but he knew that Vader was hiding something from him. As he made his way toward the Royal Apartments of the Imperial palace with his guards around him, he couldn't help but think about the boy with Vader.

As he made his way out of the palace and toward the apartments, the guards around him suddenly stiffened before pulling out blasters and Palpatine narrowed his eyes as he gazed rapidly around, struggling to find what was causing his guards to stiffen.

"Your Majesty, I think it would be wise if you go inside," one of the guards said gesturing toward the apartments that lay behind them. Small starships made out of unidentifiable coral were starting to land in the clearing and creatures that looked like the holographic image of Supreme Overlord Shimmra Jamaane walked out of the ships.

"I won't go hiding like some cowardly idiot," Palpatine snapped angrily pulling out his lightsaber and igniting the ruby blade. More or less, Palpatine didn't want anyone to think him weak because he is too busy hiding behind walls while his guards handled everything.

One of the guards exchanged glances with another. "Your Majesty, if you do not survive this battle, not saying you will not, what shall we do?" one guard asked.

"Your fears are unjustified," Palpatine snapped. "But if by some twist I don't survive, Lord Vader is second in command of the Empire and so he will automatically gain the position of Emperor if I should perish, which I see highly impossible."

"Very well," the guards said.

A Yuuzhan Vong walked toward them calmly but Palpatine could see an identifiable weapon in his hands. "I am Warmaster Ysavong Lah, you spoke with my Supreme Overlord Shimmra but we believe that you have lied to him and that you really do know the location of the ones known as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the latter with the surname of Solo later on," the Vong said.

"I know of no such persons," Palpatine replied calmly and coolly though he held his lightsaber ready. He wasn't aware of the guards moving backwards and leaving him to deal with the Vongs by himself until he heard one of them move.

"What do you think you are doing? Are you two cowards?" Palpatine sneered angrily glaring at the guards with flaring yellow eyes.

"No, your Majesty," Palpatine was a bit surprised to hear one of the guard's spit out the last two words as though it were a curse, "but we believe Lord Vader would make a better leader than you are. You deal with them since you seem to think you're all powerful."

"Traitors!" Palpatine snarled before whirling around and facing the Yuuzhan Vong. As he expected the Stormtroopers instantly surrounded his guards and killed them before turning their weapons on the Yuuzhan Vong.

Tsavong laughed coolly. "So much for not being a coward," he sneered. "I would have left you alive if you did not lie to me. You will die now, slowly and painfully, and once Supreme Overlord Shimmra kills Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the galaxy will be ours."

"The galaxy is mine so you will only take it over my dead body," Palpatine yelled before leaping forward with his lightsaber flashing.

You could probably feel sorry for the Emperor.

~*~

Warmaster Tsavong Lah gazed at the Emperor's cold body. "Imbecile," he said coolly. "He honestly thought he could take us all by himself with only a few Stormtroopers behind him. I hate those types of people, it reminds me of the cockiness of the Jedi in the time period we come from."

"Not technically the Jedi, Warmaster, more like the New Republic, the Jedi weren't all that cocky, why do you think we got hardly any Jedi when you demanded that the New Republic turn over the Jedi to you," Nas Choka pointed out.

"That is true, we must not get cocky like this idiot Emperor did," the scarred Warmaster said coolly before he glanced at a guard that had survived the white-armored trooper's killing spree as he disappeared into the palace.

"What do we do about that guard?" Nas asked.

"Just leave him be, he's just one person and he is not the Jedi we are looking for, besides we have all these troopers at our disposal," Tsavong said gesturing to the many troopers that were tied up and being hauled into the ship. Most of them were struggling while others were too weak or too badly wounded to struggle.

"We're going to have some fun killing them aren't we?" Nas commented.

"Indeed we are," Tsavong agreed. He glanced distastefully at the Emperor's cold torn-apart body. "I have to admit, I haven't enjoyed killing someone as I did the Emperor, I wonder if Shimmra will allow me to be the one to torture and then kill Skywalker and Organa Solo when we find them."

"He most likely will, Warmaster, but there is no telling with him," Nas replied as he followed the Warmaster of the Yuuzhan Vong back into the yorik coral shuttle, leaving the bloody clearing filled with dead bodies behind them, whether it be forever, Tsavong didn't know.

~*~

Luke was a bit startled when Vader walked into the chambers suddenly. They had been traveling toward the Unknown Regions for a week now but they were just barely passing the planet Vulpter, a few parsecs away from the capitol of the Empire, Coruscant. Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Han, Chewbacca and Leia both glanced up suddenly.

_What is it, Father?_ Luke asked getting to his feet and walking over to join his father.

Vader glanced down at him. "Our situation has become more complicated," he said.

"Why?" Jaina asked.

"Because the Emperor is dead."

"What?" Leia exclaimed her eyes gleaming with hope. "Is he really dead? What happened?"

"From what the Royal Guard that escaped the massacre has told me is he and the rest of the Royal Guard betrayed Palpatine and forced him to face a group of Yuuzhan Vong by himself. The Stormtroopers came, killed all the guards except for the one that spoke to me, and attempted to help Palpatine defeat the Vong."

Jaina snorted. "A whole squadron of fighters couldn't take out a group of them, did he really think he'd be able to?" she asked.

"Palpatine has always been cocky," Vader replied with a shrug. "The fact that the Yuuzhan Vong disarmed the Stormtroopers, captured them and then proceeded to slaughter Palpatine is proof of that."

_Why would they want to capture the Stormtroopers and not kill them?_ Luke asked silently._ I thought you said the Yuuzhan Vong enjoyed killing,_ he added silently looking at Jaina, Jacen and Anakin.

"They do," Anakin said in reply to Luke's silent statement. "But they love torturing people to death more and that was probably why they captured the Stormtroopers and didn't kill them. I cannot say the same for Palpatine, they probably just didn't like him."

"Perhaps they attempted to find out the location of Luke and Palpatine didn't tell them though he knew Luke was here and they somehow found out, would that be motive to kill him?" Vader asked.

"Probably, the Yuuzhan Vong just like killing and they probably figure if they have a reason, all the better," Jacen replied.

_So why exactly does this make this journey all the more complicated?_ Luke asked silently.

Vader let out a long sigh. "Simple," he said. "Thrawn won't like it when he learns of what happened to the Emperor and he will want to take charge of the Empire but he can't do that."

"Why not?" Leia asked.

"Because just before he died, from what the guard has told me, he left the Empire to me. Because I am his second in command, I am officially the new Emperor of the Empire," Vader replied and Luke narrowed his eyes, he had the strange feeling that his father didn't want to be ruler of the Empire.

"Wow, I'm in the presence of the new Emperor, that's strange," Han said.

"Don't get on my nerves, Solo," Vader snapped angrily. "I don't like it anymore than you do."

"What exactly do you mean by that? Haven't you always wanted power? Isn't that why you turned in the first place?" a new voice sounded and Vader whirled around in time to find Obi-Wan walking calmly into the room with Yoda just behind him, the questions had come from Obi-Wan.

Vader snarled at him. "I mean exactly what I said, Kenobi," he snapped angrily, "I've never wanted power, the only reason I turned was to save my _wife!_"

Obi-Wan's eyes narrowed. "And yet she still died," he said. "Because of you."

Vader stiffened and Luke glanced at him with confusion in his eyes. _What is Ben talking about, Father?_ he asked silently.

"You haven't told him the truth, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked. "You know as well as I do that if he is to become a full Jedi Knight, he must know the truth, he must know of why it is Vader that stands at his side and not Anakin Skywalker. He needs to know what truly caused you to fall and I cannot tell him that, you know I'd take out certain parts because he isn't prepared to hear those parts. But you can tell him the full story, you can tell him the truth."

_He's right, Anakin,_ a new voice sounded and Luke glanced around until he spotted a shimmering blue figure standing nearby watching them. He blinked several times, sure that he was seeing things but when he opened his eyes, the figure was still there.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "What about Leia?" he asked finally.

"It will be up to you, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied.

"What about me?" Leia demanded.

Vader turned his blue gaze to the Princess of Alderaan. "Bail Organa isn't your real father," he said softly. "I am."

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: ha, I just had to cut it off there**

**Darth: what? But….but…but…but…but…why?!!!!!!**

**Blaze: cause I wanted to, duh!**

**Darth: you're mean, you just had to cut it off there**

**Leia: WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY…?**

**Blaze: save it for the next chapter**

**Leia: (glares angrily at Blaze)**

**Blaze: (pulls out Death Star sized lightsaber)**

**Leia: (takes of running)**

**The Death Star: I'm out of here (Takes off running)**

**Tarkin: wait! Take me with you! (Takes off after the Death Star)**

**Palpypie: what's the matter with them? Are they all angry that Anakin's going to die?**

**Blaze: (starts crying and tosses Death Star sized lightsaber at Palpypie before running to Anakin for comfort)**

**Anakin: (gazes at the Death Star sized lightsaber that is sticking out of Palpypie) serves him right (comforts Blaze)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: that wasn't nice**

**Blaze: (sniffs) I'll post chapter 12 as soon as I possibly can and please help me get at least 110 reviews or even 105, I just want to get over a 100 reviews before the next chapter is posted. Anyone who reviews gets a virtual Tigerstar plushie, a virtual Anakin plushie, a virtual Palpypie voodoo doll and a virtual lightsaber so please review**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: it's about time**

**Blaze: well, I got 108 reviews so I decided to post the next chapter**

**Darth: ah**

**Blaze: yup**

**Tigerstar: yes, I made it**

**Vader: (gets startled and slices Tigerstar in half)**

**Tigerstar's Ghost: that was mean**

**Vader: sorry**

**Blaze: WOOHOO PALPYPIE'S DEAD!**

**Vader: WOOHOO PALPYPIE'S DEAD!**

**Palpypie's Ghost: that's mean**

**Blaze: hahaha, by the way, here are a few review replies for the last chapter**

**VampyressOfCoffee:** thanks for the review and I agree, Palpatine's dead, yay! Leia is pretty shocked, as will be explained in this chapter and yeah, the ending is not going to be easy to write.

**Seirei Nightlord05: **Yup, he is definitely as cocky as he is stupid and it won't be that hard when Leia learns the truth, well you will see and, on the last note in your review, don't worry about it.

**Natalie Thropp:** Thanks for the review and the note, I will put in more cliffies now, haha, just kidding.

**Lightside: **yes you were reviewer 105 and don't feel bad, Palpatine was a good villain but I just hate him.

**VFSNAKE: **Just wait until later chapters, thanks for the review.

**Imperial warlord: **Well, let's just say, they were tired of being under Palpatine's control and they wanted a change, in my story at least, but that's why I made it AU, thanks for the review

**ILDV:** thanks

**Jedi Angel001:** well, in a way, that's what happened during the _New Jedi Order_ series but mine's going to be a little bit different, thanks for the review.

**allison lightning:** you are reviewer number 100, thanks for the review.

**Link Fangirl01: **(catches review) thanks and by the way (cries as well) I don't want Anakin to die either but it has to happen. Thanks for putting my story on your story's alert list.

**FireChildSlytherin5:** In a way, thanks for the review.

**XxRandom NemesisxX: **(joins in laughing at Palpypie's dead body)

**Blaze: thank you everyone who has reviewed and here is chapter 12 and, once again, this is AU so almost everything in this story is from my own imagination.**

**Chapter Twelve**

"What happened to the Emperor?" Shimmra demanded in the Yuuzhan Vong language as Warmaster Tsavong Lah and his companions made their way back onto the Worldship. The Supreme Overlord didn't look overly angry but Tsavong could tell he was frustrated because of what happened to the Emperor.

"He lied to us about knowing of Organa Solo and Skywalker, Supreme Overlord," Tsavong replied in that same language. "He did know of them but he would not tell us and I do not know why."

The blue sack beneath Shimmra's eyes moved tightly together in the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a scowl. "The Emperor and the blasted Senator from Alderaan were the only ones that know of the location of Skywalker and Organa Solo," he said angrily. "But the Alderaanian Senator will most likely lie to use if we attempt to speak with him."

"Indeed," Tsavong agreed before his eye sacks narrowed together. "I do not think the Empire is without a leader, Emperor Palpatine must have a second in command, someone to take over if he should perish."

"He does," Nos Choka said and the Warmaster turned his attention to the other Yuuzhan Vong. "This holofeed came out over the HoloNet and we intercepted it on our own computerized system. Do you wish to hear it?"

"Yes, play it," Tsavong ordered. He knew that it was the interception of the HoloNet data through their own modified computerized system from before they invaded the galaxy in the future but never got around to using that allowed them to learn of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo. Skywalker and Organa Solo, the two biggest threats to the Yuuzhan Vong's attempt to gain territory.

Choka turned his attention back to the computerized system and the holographic image of a Twi'lek reporter appeared. "_News has spread out rapidly since the assassination of Emperor Palpatine but no one can seem to figure out who was behind the assassination. Witnesses have described these creatures as 'unrecognizable' and 'deadly' and they are believed to be beings that dwell far beyond the borders of the known galaxy. Nonetheless, the sudden turn of events has impacted the Empire as a whole and confusion is causing riots to spread out through many different planetary systems. But there is hope for the Emperor made a last request before he died, naming his heir who shall take over as Emperor immediately. Asalys Kydav has more on this story, Asalys?_"

"_Thank you, Stryk,_" an orange skinned Togruta said before her holographic image turned to look at the others. "_We have an Imperial Guard here who shall speak on the final request of the Emperor._"

The eye sacks scrunched together as Tsavong watched a guard dressed completely in red walk over to join the reporter. The guard straightened up and faced the holocam that was pointed at him. "_The Emperor didn't know of what to expect when meeting with the creatures that murdered the Emperor. They are known as the Yuuzhan Vong but I have not come here to speak of them. I have come here to inform you all that the Emperor made a final request, he named the Lord Darth Vader has his heir. Lord Darth Vader is now the Emperor of the Empire and I and the rest of the guards will support him for I believe that Lord Vader shall make a better leader than Palpatine,_" the guard said.

The Togruta nodded once. "_The last request of the late Emperor Palpatine is true, analysts and Intelligence has proven this, the new Emperor of the Empire is the Lord Darth Vader,_" she said.

"Turn it off," Shimmra ordered and Nos Choka nodded before switching the Yuuzhan Vong version of the Holovision off. The Supreme Overlord's eye sacks showed immediately that he was deep in thought and Tsavong stayed silent as he waited for his lord to finish thinking.

"Nom Anor, look up any information on the Lord Darth Vader," the Supreme Overlord ordered. "Nos Choka, continue to monitor the newscast and if you find any information that may prove to be useful, inform me immediately."

The two Yuuzhan Vong nodded once before returning their attention back to their computer screens and Shimmra looked at Tsavong. Tsavong eye sacks moved together. He didn't remember hearing much about the Lord Darth Vader when the Yuuzhan Vong first invaded the galaxy twenty-eight years into the future.

"I have never heard of Darth Vader before, Supreme Overlord," Tsavong said.

"Neither have I," replied Shimmra.

"He is one of the highest ranked commanders of the Imperial Starfleet and the Emperor's right hand man," Nom Anor said. "It is strange, his information on the HoloNet starts when he is officially twenty-two years old but there is no information on before that. It is as if he just appeared out of nowhere."

Shimmra's eye sacks moved to show he was in thought and Tsavong found himself in thought as well. An idea came into his mind, it was far-fetched but the Warmaster had this strange feeling it would work. "Nom Anor, cross-reference the information you have found on Darth Vader with the information of Anakin Skywalker," he ordered.

Shimmra glanced at him. "What are you trying to accomplish with this, Warmaster?" he asked.

"From the information we received on the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, his father was known as Anakin Skywalker and I have this feeling that Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader are somehow related," Tsavong replied.

"How do you know that? We do not, can not, use the Force," Shimmra pointed out.

"Indeed, it is more like something I just thought of and I think it would be a good idea to check it out. It might be our only lead on finding Organa Solo and Skywalker," the Warmaster replied.

Shimmra opened his mouth to reply but before he could say anything, Nom Anor glanced up. "It is strange, Supreme Overlord," he said. "It would appear Anakin Skywalker's information stops the very instant Darth Vader's information start. And most of their information correspond with each other; they are both pilots, they are both fighters but the only difference is that the first was a General during the Clone Wars while the latter is now the Emperor of the Empire."

"Is there anyway to figure out if the two are the same person?" Tsavong asked curiously.

"Yes, I will cross-reference everything about them," Nom Anor replied and Tsavong nodded. A few moments later, the Yuuzhan Vong glanced up before nodding once, "our database says that the only way those two people can have so many identical characteristics, the same birthday, the same likes, the same dislikes and look nearly identical to each other is for them to be the same person..."

"How do you know they look alike?" Shimmra asked interrupting him.

Nom Anor punched in some quick codes onto the computer and two holographic images of two people who looked nearly identical appeared. The first was dressed similar to the way the Jedi dressed twenty-eight years in the future while the latter was dressed completely in black. Tsavong noticed that Nom Anor was right, the two of them looked identical and he realized his assumption had been correct.

"The new Emperor of the Empire is Luke Skywalker's father," Shimmra said, coming to the same conclusion that Tsavong had only moments before. "I have an idea, we must contact the Emperor and speak with him, he may know the location of his son and Leia Organa Solo."

"Shall I speak with him or shall you?" Tsavong asked.

"You shall," Shimmra ordered and Tsavong nodded once in reply before he waited for Nom Anor to contact the Emperor.

~*~

Darth Vader saw anger and shock glittering in Leia's eyes as she stared at him. "You're lying," she cried. "You cannot be my father, you cannot be!"

Han also seemed a bit shocked but Vader could tell Luke, Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Yoda didn't seem shocked at all. Leia glared at him before she stood up. "I do not have to listen to this," she said angrily.

"Sit down and listen, Leia," Jacen snapped igniting his lightsaber and pointing it at his mother. Leia glared at him but sat down and Jacen sat down beside her though he kept his lightsaber ignited. "We do not need this, not right now, we have bigger problems to face right now."

Leia glanced at her future son before turning her chocolate brown gaze to Vader, the brown gaze almost immediately reminded Vader of his wife and he felt sadness and pain course through his veins at the memory of his beloved wife._ Who died because of me,_ he thought.

"What he says is true, Leia," Obi-Wan said breaking into the silence that had stretched for several moments. "Master Yoda and I were there when you and Luke were born."

Leia, her eyes still filled with shock, opened her mouth to reply but before she could, Vader's comlink beeped. He pulled it out and the holographic image of Captian Piett came to him. "What is it, Captain?" he asked.

"Someone is trying to contact you, your Majesty," Piett replied saluting and Vader flinched slightly. He was never going to get used to being called Emperor but he knew it was going to happen that way because Palpatine named him his heir.

"Who is it?" Vader asked.

"He gives his name as Tsavong Lah," Piett replied.

"The Warmaster," Anakin gasped.

"He came back too along with Shimmra?" Jacen breathed.

"It would appear that way, this is worse than I had first thought," Jaina said.

Vader, not knowing what the Solo siblings were talking about, frowned. "Patch him through to my private communication chambers," he ordered.

"Yes your Majesty," Piett said saluting and Vader disconnected the transmission before glancing at the Solo siblings who looked generally spooked, Jacen seemed more calm than the rest however but there was something in his eyes that told Vader he wasn't as calm as he appeared to be.

"Who is Tsavong?" he asked.

"He is like a second in command to Supreme Overlord Shimmra," Jacen explained. "From the time we come from, he had just put out an order to the New Republic to turn over any Jedi to him. He was planning on torturing said Jedi and then killing them but most of the Jedi refused to listen to his order. The Warmaster also had a long grudge against me because I escaped room him."

"And why would he be contacting Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You are the Emperor and he is most likely still trying to find Luke and Leia. He most likely believes that if you are the Emperor, you would know, or be able to find out, the location of them," Jaina explained.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "Stay here," he ordered before he turned around and swept his way out of the room, not aware that Jacen was ignoring his order and getting up to follow him.

Vader made his way down the hallway to his private communication chambers and entered it. He paused for a moment before glancing over his shoulder as Jacen walked in behind him. "I thought I told you to stay where you were," he snapped.

Jacen shrugged. "I don't listen, I get that from my father," he replied. "Besides, I want to hear what Tsavong has to say."

Vader scowled but nodded sharply and walked over to the communication chambers. He answered the call and the holographic image of an alien with yellowish skin, eye sacks, and a sloping forehead appeared.

"Hello your Majesty, I am Tsavong Lah," the alien greeted him.

"You appear to already know who I am, Tsavong," Vader replied coolly. "Why have you contacted me?"

"It is simple," the Yuuzhan Vong said his voice equally as cold. "I wish to know the location of your son and Leia Organa Solo."

Vader's eyes narrowed and he heard Jacen take a swift intake of breath. _How did he know Luke was your son?_ Jacen asked silently.

_Perhaps the same way I found out he was my son,_ Vader suggested silently.

Tsavong stayed silent as Vader struggled to gather his thoughts. "I do not know of whom you speak of," he said coolly.

The Warmaster snorted. "You are his father and yet you do not know his location?" he asked.

"I did not know I had a son until you mentioned it."

"I am sure. Emperor Palpatine already lied to me and that cost him his life so you better not lie to me or I will find you and deal you a worse fate than the one I inflicted upon the last Emperor," Tsavong snapped.

"That sounds like a threat and I do not take threats lightly," Vader retorted.

Before the Warmaster could say anything, Jacen walked to Vader's side, causing the dark lord to glance at his future grandson in shock. Jacen faced the Yuuzhan Vong with a small smile on his face as recognition crossed the Warmaster's eyes. "Recognize me, Tsavong?" he asked.

"You!" The Warmaster snarled. "Jacen Solo, protégé to Luke Skywalker and one of the biggest nuisances the Yuuzhan Vong Clan has ever had to face."

Jacen smiled slightly. "So you do remember me? I am glad that traveling through time didn't erase your memory," he said and then his voice grew serious. "You do not know of what you are facing, Warmaster. You were not expecting someone else to get tossed into the past when you traveled through that wormhole to get to this time period. And that, I know, shall be your undoing."

"Make threats all you like, Jacen Solo," Tsavong retorted. "But know this, when I find your mother and your Uncle, I will kill them and then you shall never be born." With that, the Warmaster disconnected the transmission and the communication chambers were plunged into silence.

~*~

Luke narrowed his eyes and Vader and Jacen left before he glanced at Ben. Ben, seeing the confused look on Luke's face, shrugged. Luke glanced at Jaina and Anakin. _Why did Jacen go with father?_ He asked silently.

Jaina shrugged. "Tsavong hates Jacen and Jacen, as hot-headed as his father, is most likely going to speak with him," she replied.

"I ain't hot-headed," Han protested. Leia, still too shocked by Vader's revelation, didn't say anything in reply to what Han had just said. Luke frowned in concern at his sister before he glanced at Ben. _What's the matter with her?_ He asked silently.

"She is finding it hard to accept Vader as her father," Ben replied calmly. "She will have to get used to it, however, for we are going to need all the help we can get."

"Get the Alliance to help us, Princess Leia may," Yoda said, speaking for the first time in a long while. "And leader of the Empire Vader is so command the Empire he does. Two allies we have but need a third we do."

Leia seemed to pale slightly. "I…I don't know anything about the Rebels," she protested.

"Yes you do, Princess Leia," Ben replied calmly. "It is not as if Anakin will care, he has too many problems to deal with as it is such as talking this Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Chiss Empire to helping us."

Leia glared at him. "The Alliance would never help us," she said. "They would not fight side by side with Vader even if it means the entire galaxy is destroyed."

"Then the galaxy shall be destroyed, the Jedi will never rise, we will never live, and those who survive the Yuuzhan Vong will be turned into their slaves," Jaina said softly. "The Alliance, the Empire and the Chiss Empire would be stupid to not help us in this for they will also get killed or put into slavery, which will most likely lead to death as it is."

"She's right," Jacen's voice sounded and Luke glanced up as his future nephew walked into the room with Vader just behind him. Vader's blue eyes were narrowed and it looked as though he was deep in thought.

"Do the Yuuzhan Vong know of our current location?" Ben asked.

Vader glanced up, looking a bit confused as though he had been pulled from his thoughts before he shook his head. "They may have gotten a lock on where our transmission came from but I instructed Admiral Ozzel to jump to lightspeed almost as soon as Tsavong ended the transmission. With any luck, they will only find out that we are located in the Vulpter system but we already left that system and I do not think they will be able to follow us."

_What are we going to do now, Father?_ Luke asked silently.

Vader glanced at him._ Continue your training,_ he replied silently._ You will need all the help you can get if you are to help us defeat the Yuuzhan Vong. Jacen has already offered to help you with your training and I am sure Jaina and Anakin will help as well._

_And I,_ Ben said silently in Luke's mind.

_Help you I shall too,_ Yoda said silently in Luke's mind and he smiled slightly before frowning.

_What about Leia?_ He asked through the Force.

"The Princess needs to be taught to defend herself better as well," Vader said out loud. "And, as she doesn't trust me at all, I think it would be best if you, Kenobi, take over her training. I am sure she will trust you more than she will trust me."

"What about us?" Han demanded narrowing his eyes.

"You are probably well trained, Solo," Vader retorted and Chewbacca growled angrily, waving a furry paw but Han glanced at him.

"He's right, you furry oaf," he snapped angrily. "We do know how to take care of ourselves, we have been for the past who knows how many years."

Chewbacca growled angrily at him before gesturing to Vader.

"Yeah, I don't trust him either but if its' to help the kid then its' the least we can do."

Chewbacca grunted in agreement before walking forward and throwing his arms around Luke in a bear hug. _Can't…breathe,_ Luke gasped out silently and a small smile crossed Vader's facial features.

"He cannot breathe," Vader said.

Chewbacca growled at the dark lord but let go of Luke who smiled at the wookie before patting him on the arm as he got his breath back. Leia was still watching everyone of them with narrowed suspicious and shocked filled eyes. Ben walked over to join Luke's sister and began speaking softly to her.

Luke turned his gaze to his father. _What now, father?_ he asked silently.

_Why don't we continue your training?_ Vader suggested silently. "Besides," he added out loud, "it's getting too crowded in here for my tastes."

"I thought you liked crowds, Anakin," Ben said glancing up at him.

"Not really," Vader admitted.

"What about the crowd of Gundarks that we both landed in prior to the Clone Wars?" Ben asked.

Vader laughed, a sound that caused everyone except the Solo Siblings to step back in surprise. "You fell into that nightmare, Kenobi, and I rescued you, don't you remember?" He retorted before frowning and adding, "Then again, in your old age, you probably did forget."

"At least I didn't break my lightsaber at the Battle of Geonosis."

"Yes but I wouldn't have broken it if you had not been captured."

"You wouldn't have broken it if you had done what you were told."

"You should have known back then that I never do as I am told."

"Indeed, it's a miracle you're still alive today."

"Thanks to you."

"I think that was a compliment."

"Well, more because of the times I didn't listen to you than the times I did."

"I take that back but at least I didn't lose my lightsaber over sixteen times."

"I did save your life thirty-seven times."

"Thirty-six, if you're interested in accuracy."

"Thirty-six, thirty-seven, what's the difference?"

"A whole number."

"You never change, Kenobi."

"Look who's talking, Anakin."

"By the way, whatever happened to your girlfriend, the Duchess Satine?"

"She _wasn't_ my girlfriend!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

"You're impossible."

"Really? It's about time you noticed that, it took you, what? Twenty-eight years?"

"No, I noticed it when you ignored Qui-Gon's order to stay in the cockpit of that Naboo ship and ended up in space."

"As I most likely told you before, Qui-Gon said to stay in the cockpit, he never said anything about staying in the hangar bay. By the way, it was on automatic pilot."

"Typical Anakin, always coming up with an excuse to weasel out when you know you're wrong."

"I am not coming up with an excuse, it's the truth, Qui-Gon never told me to stay in the hangar bay."

"It was implied."

"I was nine and besides, I did blow up the Droid Control Ship, where would you have been without me?"

"You've got a point there," Ben conceded.

"Of course I have a point, Obi-Wan, I always have a point," Vader replied smiling and Luke, a bit shocked that his father had called Ben by his first name rather than his last, glanced at his father. His father's clear blue gaze was glimmering with amusement as he faced Ben who had a similar twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

"We haven't had a good banter in years, huh?" Vader commented.

"Indeed, when was the last time?"

"During the Battle of Coruscant."

"Yes, when you kept yelling at me to shoot the deflector shields on the _Invisible Hand_."

"I wasn't yelling at you, I was simply telling you."

"Telling me in a loud voice is the same as yelling."

"You don't have to get all logical on me, Anakin."

"Me? Logical? I think you might have me confused with someone else."

"True, you aren't even close to being logical."

"Hey."

"And you don't take orders."

"I do take orders, I just ignore them, there's a difference."

"Like when you attacked Admiral Treench when I gave you a direct order not to?"

"Pretty much."

"And the time you attacked Admiral Treench again with the Stealth Ship when I told you not to."

"Hey, some good came out of it."

"That is true but still."

"It wasn't all that bad."

"From a certain point of view."

"Oh stop with that, you've been saying that for five hundred years, it's a wonder you still remember it."

"I wasn't even born five hundred years ago so how could I have been saying that for five hundred years?"

"You sure do look five hundred."

"You're only ten years younger than me, Anakin, what does that make you?"

"Thirty-seven."

"I do not want to know how you came up with that."

Vader laughed again, causing Leia, Han, and Chewbacca to take a step back in shock. Luke smiled, his father was acting differently and Luke, in spite of his meager learning in the Force, could have sworn he saw the darkness inside of his father shift toward the light side. Vader was falling back into the light side of the Force and he wasn't even aware of what he was doing.

Ben seemed to have noticed this as well. "I knew Anakin was still alive in there somewhere," he said softly but Luke heard him and, as he was standing right beside his father at that moment, Vader must have heard him too.

Instead of getting angry, as Luke, Ben and everyone in that room was expecting, Vader just smiled. "You must be getting senile, old man," he said.

"I am _not_ senile!" Ben protested.

"If you weren't so senile, you would have noticed exactly when Vader was vanquished," Vader replied.

_When was that?_ Luke asked silently.

Vader glanced at his son before putting his arm around his son's shoulders. "I would have to say when Obi-Wan and I began bantering as we used to do when we were Master and Apprentice during the years prior to and during the Clone Wars," he replied.

"I will never understand this Force mumbo jumbo," Han muttered.

"Neither will I," Leia agreed.

Jaina, Jacen and Anakin chuckled. "Even we sensed it," the three of them said at the same time.

_I'm confused,_ Luke admitted silently.

"Honestly, so are about fifty percent of everyone in this room," Vader replied.

"Only fifty percent?" Han asked.

Vader laughed. "Come, Luke, we will continue training in my personal training area because, as I told you before, it's getting crowded in here." With that, Anakin Skywalker smiled gently down at his son before leading Luke out of the room while the rest of the occupants of the room stared after them with shock and confusion glittering in their eyes.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: ah, you gotta love Ani/Obi banter**

**Darth: Ani/Obi banter is so funny**

**Blaze: (does happy dance) Anakin Skywalker is back, Anakin Skywalker is back, Anakin Skywalker is back, Anakin Skywalker is back…**

**Palpypie: Anakin Skywalker is going to die!!!**

**Blaze: (begins crying and runs off to Anakin)**

**Anakin: whoa, what happened this time? (Comforts Blaze)**

**Blaze: Palpypie is being an idiotic, insensitive jerk! (Continues to cry)**

**Anakin: (gestures to random Polar Bear) Order 10101010000001111111010101 010101110101010110101**

**Polar Bear: yes sir (pads over to join Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: what do you want, you stupid furry animal?**

**Polar Bear: (stands up on his hindlegs, punches Palpypie in the face with a boxing glove that just happened to be there, shot Palpypie with a nuclear tipped rocket launcher, sprayed his face with mace, stabbed him with a lightsaber, pulled out a wand and cast the **_**crucio**_** spell on him, and dumped electric eels, hot fudge, hot boiling water, and acid on him)**

**Palpypie: owwww! (Dies)**

**Anakin: thank you**

**Polar Bear: you are welcome (pads off)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post chapter 13 as soon as I possibly can and please help me to try and get to 120 reviews at the most.**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Blaze: yay, next chapter**

**Palpypie: you're getting closer to ANAKIN DYING!!!**

**Blaze: hahahahaha, you can't make me cry anymore**

**Palpypie: whaaaaa (dumbfounded)**

**Blaze: mwahahahaha, YOU SHALL NEVER KNOW! (Runs off)**

**Anakin: all right, who gave Blaze candy? (Glares at Obi-Wan)**

**Obi-Wan: (points to Han)**

**Han: (Points to Jaina)**

**Jaina: (points to Leia)**

**Leia: (Points to Jacen)**

**Jacen: (Points to Shimmra)**

**Shimmra: (Points to Tsavong)**

**Tsavong: (points to Dooku)**

**Dooku: (hides candy and widens eyes innocently) it wasn't me**

**Blaze: (pops up) hint, hint, hint, hint (disappears)**

**Anakin: huh? (Shakes head) never mind, here's chapter 13 and Blaze hopes that you like it**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Han was confused. Never in his entire life has he ever been confused but the sudden change in Vader's behavior, the cheerful laughter that came from him, it came so much as a shock to him that Han was sure he was dreaming. He could tell everyone else in the room was as confused as he was, all except his future children, which was still a shock to him, the old man and the green dwarf.

"What just happened?" he asked finally. Judging by the looks Leia and Chewbacca were throwing him, they were thinking the same thing.

"It's hard to explain to those who do not have the Force within them," the old man that Luke called Ben said. "I'll put it simply, Vader was once Anakin and now he is Anakin again."

"That doesn't clear things up for me," Han said and Chewbacca growled in agreement.

"Understand it better you would if had the Force within you, you did," the little green dwarf Han learned was known as Yoda said. Han still couldn't understand most of what the green dwarf was saying because of his strange dialect but he was able to make sense of almost everything he was saying.

"And yet you believed that no one could come back from the dark side," Ben said glancing at Yoda.

"You believed that?" Jaina echoed sounding a bit shocked. "Where I come from, there have been at least two different Jedi that came back from the dark side. Thanks to Uncle Luke."

"Believed at once, once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny," Yoda said softly. "But wrong I was, it would appear."

Jacen narrowed his eyes. "What I just realized is the future is getting even more messed up," he said.

"Yes," Anakin Solo agreed. "From what Uncle Luke told us, Anakin Skywalker did not return until he was on the brink of death back during a battle known in the future as the Battle of Endor."

"Since the Yuuzhan Vong came to the past, the future has changed dramatically," Jaina said. "That is why Anakin Skywalker came back ahead of schedule but that also means we are getting close to the outcome of the prophecy that the Jedi Qui-Gon gave to us."

"What prophecy?" Han asked getting even more confused.

Jaina glanced at him. "Qui-Gon told us '_nothing will ever be the same but what was silent shall now speak, what was wrong shall be righted, the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen, the darkness shall be overthrown, and the future and past will once again be separated_,'" she said.

"But that makes no kriffing sense," the captain of the _Millennium Falcon_ protested his eyes narrowing.

"None of us know the meaning of this message," Jaina said.

"I can decode a few parts of it but not all of it," Ben said. "What I can figure out is _what was silent shall now speak_ may mean that Luke will gain his speech back._ The prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen, _I hate to say it but I think that means the prophecy will be fulfilled and either during the fulfillment or after the fulfillment Anakin will die."

Yoda nodded gravelly. "Figured out that much I did as well," he said.

"Luke is not going to like hearing that his dad is going to die," Han said. He made a point not to mention what Leia might feel if her father died. Judging by the way she reacted when Vader told her the truth, she might be glad to see Vader die. Han was still surprised that his future wife was the daughter of Vader,_ Vader_ of all people.

"We will not tell him," Ben said.

"We cannot tell him," Jacen agreed. "If Luke learns this, he may attempt to protect his father's life and if he dies, everything that has ever come to be in the future will be destroyed. I hate to say it but Anakin Skywalker must die if the future is to be righted again."

"What's the big deal?" Leia said coolly. "I wouldn't mind if Vader died right here and now."

"Now that we do," Yoda said. "But between Anakin and Luke a great bond of love has formed. Broken that bond shall be and try to prevent it Luke will if knew the truth he did. If prevent this fulfillment Luke does then destroy the already chaotic future he shall. Protect Luke and Leia we must, Anakin must, everyone must, or become enslaved by the Yuuzhan Vong we all will."

"That is why we must gain the Rebel Alliance as our ally," Ben added.

"You think the Empire is bad, you have not lived during the time of the Yuuzhan Vong, we have," Anakin Solo said, his ice-blue eyes narrowed as he gazed at his mother. "Do you want that? Do you want the people you wanted to free to become enslaved and destroyed? The Yuuzhan Vong wants this galaxy for their own territory and they will not want to share it with anyone. We've tried negotiating with them but we have been unable to do so."

"Especially with Shimmra and Tsavong leading the Vong," Jacen added.

Leia glared at her future children but Han noticed she was thinking hard about what their future children had told them. "If we can take out Shimmra and Tsavong, would that not put the Yuuzhan Vong at a disarray?" she asked.

"We've tried," Jaina said. "But we were unable to do so."

"Hopefully we can get the Chiss Empire to help us," Ben said.

"Yes we helped them in the future but I know that they do not know about that," Jaina said.

Han narrowed his eyes again. "And what happens if these Chiss people don't help us?" he asked.

Jacen, Jaina and Anakin exchanged glances. "Then we don't know what to do after that," they said in unison.

* * *

_Father, what happened back there?_ Luke asked silently as he followed his father down the hallways of the_ Executor_, toward the bridge.

Anakin glanced back at him before smiling slightly. "If you understood the Force more then you would understand what happened," he replied before he put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "I know the only reason you came with me was to turn me back to the light side of the Force and that is what happened back there."

Luke gazed at his father. _Vader's gone?_ he asked silently.

"Vader's gone," Anakin replied.

They arrived to the bridge at that time and Luke gazed around as the captains and sergeants stationed on the bridge instantly stood at attention. Anakin waved to them and they went back to their work as an older man walked over to join him with a slightly younger man after him.

"Your Majesty," the older man greeted him.

"Admiral Ozzel, Captain Piett," Anakin greeted them. "How far are we from the Unknown Regions?"

Ozzel glanced at the navicomputer console. "About ten parsecs, your Majesty," he said.

Anakin nodded once in reply before he walked over to stand before the large viewports of the _Executor_ and Luke, after a brief hesitation, walked over to join him. He found his thoughts drifting to the words that Qui-Gon had told the Solo siblings when they were first brought to the past. _Father?_ He said silently and a bit hesitantly.

"Yes, Luke?" Anakin asked out loud glancing at him and causing those who were within earshot to step back in surprise.

Luke gazed up at his father. _You seem to know what Qui-Gon meant when he told the Solo siblings those words, especially the line, 'the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen.' What does that mean?_ he asked silently.

Anakin gazed at him for a long moment before he turned his gaze to the viewports but not before Luke saw a gleam of sadness in his father's eyes. He frowned before walking to Anakin's side and putting an arm around his waist, much to the surprise of everyone on the bridge.

He could tell by the postures of those he could see out of the corner of his eye that they were waiting for Anakin to ask Luke to stop or something else. But Anakin merely put his arm around Luke's shoulders. "I would explain it to you, Son, but I can't," he said.

The word 'Son' caused a stir in the sergeants and lieutenants on the bridge of the _Executor_ and Admiral Ozzel walked to Anakin's side, his eyes wide. "Did I hear you right, your Majesty?" he asked a bit hesitantly.

Anakin blinked before glancing at the Admiral, a brief gleam of confusion in his eyes before it disappeared. "You heard right Admiral," he said softly. "Luke is my Son."

"If he is your son then does that mean he is your heir?"

Anakin was silent for a long moment as he examined a suddenly very interesting starline that flashed in front of him. "No," he said finally, causing Luke to glance up at him. Anakin didn't meet his gaze as he said softly. "If I die then the Empire dies with me, that is all there is to it."

Luke frowned. He knew that there was an underlying meaning to what his father had said but he couldn't seem to figure it out. Ozzel was shocked but he didn't question Anakin's statement and he walked backwards to join Captain Piett. Luke gazed at his father. _What did you mean by that? _He asked silently.

"It's not of the moment, Son, come, why don't we continue your training?" said Anakin.

Luke, still confused by Anakin's statement, nodded before following Anakin as his father led the way off of the bridge and toward the training room.

As they walked, Luke found himself wondering why his father would say such a thing. _If I die then the Empire dies with me, that is all there is to it,_ Anakin's words repeated themselves in his mind and Luke felt a bit sick at heart at the thought of his father dying.

As he walked, he spotted a flaming haired woman walking down the hallway and Luke noticed that she was slightly pale. The woman came to a stop in front of Anakin. "I want to know what happened to the Emperor," she said.

"If you are here to blame me for his death, Jade, then don't because I was not responsible for it, it was the fault of the Yuuzhan Vong and Palpatine too," Anakin said.

The woman known as Jade glared at him and Luke suddenly remembered her first name as Mara, his future wife. "Why would the Yuuzhan Vong killed him?" she demanded.

"Because he lied to them about the location of someone," Anakin replied. "Besides, from what I've heard about them, they would kill anyone, even if they did tell them the truth."

Mara was silent for a long moment, her eyes narrowed and Anakin said softly, "stretch out with the Force, Jade. I know Palpatine taught you how to use the Force, use it now to see that I am telling the truth."

Mara frowned and Luke felt her reach out with the Force and she turned her emerald green gaze to Anakin. "You're right," she said softly. "But why would these Yuuzhan Vong kill Palpatine?"

"I do not know," said Anakin.

Mara glanced at Luke. "Hello," she said.

Luke lowered his head in greeting though a faint blush was reddening his cheeks and Mara glanced at Anakin. "What's the matter with him?" he asked.

Anakin stiffened at Luke's side and Luke lifted his head to glance at his father. "There is nothing the matter with him, Jade," Anakin said coolly, a brief gleam of anger in his eyes. "He is mute."

Mara glanced at Luke before looking back at Anakin. "My apologies," she said. "I didn't know."

Anakin narrowed his eyes and Luke glanced at him again. _Let it go, Father, she didn't know,_ he said silently.

Anakin glanced at him._ Very well,_ he said silently before he glanced at Mara. "Fine," he said just as his comlink beeped and he glanced at it. "Why don't you go with Jade? She can show you around the _Executor_."

_What about you?_ Luke asked silently, a bit uneasy about being left alone with a beautiful girl.

_Don't worry about me, I just want to speak with Obi-Wan and Yoda,_ Anakin said silently.

"Come then," Mara said and Luke glanced back at her. "I'll show you around." She glanced at Anakin and Luke noticed her eyes had hardened slightly. "I'll make sure he doesn't fall down any reactor cores, _your Majesty_," she said the last two words scornfully before she turned around and led the way away.

Luke started to follow her before he glanced at Anakin. _Don't you two get along?_ He asked silently.

Anakin shook his head._ While I was Vader, I always thought she was trying to steal the Emperor's favor so we don't see eye to eye, _he said silently.

"Are you coming, Skywalker?" Mara called.

Luke hugged his father goodbye before he turned around and jogged after Mar as she led the way down the hallways.

* * *

Anakin walked into the room where Obi-Wan and Yoda were currently located. The others were in a room across the hallway and Anakin noticed the Solo siblings were speaking with Leia and Han but he couldn't hear what they were talking about. Obi-Wan glanced up. "Hello Anakin," he greeted him.

"Hello Obi-Wan," Anakin replied taking a seat beside his brother in everything but blood. "We should be reaching the Unknown Regions in a few days, two at the most because we are only about five parsecs away."

Obi-Wan nodded. "What about Luke?" he asked.

"What about him?"

"His your son so, technically speaking, he is your heir."

Anakin smiled sadly before shaking his head. "No," he replied. "What I told the Admiral on the bridge is the truth. If I die then the Empire dies with me."

Obi-Wan stiffened, his eyes widening. "You know?" he asked.

"Of course I know, Obi-Wan," Anakin replied sadly as he gazed through a nearby port window. "I didn't want to believe it at first because I only just found my son and my daughter but I know is unavoidable. I am the Chosen One, no matter what happened since I turned to the dark side, and the prophecy Qui-Gon gave to the Solo Siblings stated _the prophecy shall be completed with the loss of the one that was chosen._ I put two and two together and I discovered that the only way to right the future is to fulfill the prophecy and if I have to sacrifice myself to do that, I will."

Obi-Wan put his arm around Anakin's shoulders. "Anakin," he said softly. "Are you really ready to sacrifice yourself?"

Anakin gazed at him. "Obi-Wan," he said softly, "I will sacrifice myself if it means saving my son's and my daughter's life."

"A noble declaration," Yoda said. "Great peril in the future I see. Dead Emperor Palpatine is but still out there the Yuuzhan Vong are. If, correct we are, then fulfill the prophecy you shall and righted the future shall be."

Anakin smiled slightly. "Does everyone know?" he asked.

Obi-Wan nodded. "The only people that don't know are Luke's future wife and Luke himself," he said.

"Let's keep it that way," Anakin said. "I know that Leia doesn't care whether I die or not but I know how much it will hurt Luke. We've only just found out each other was alive and I know he doesn't want to part with me nor do I with him."

"Qui-Gon said that you would die, he never said when," Obi-Wan pointed out.

"True that is," Yoda agreed.

Anakin let out a long sigh. "I guess you are right," he murmured though he couldn't help but wonder about Qui-Gon's message again. Something was nagging at him in the back of his mind but he couldn't figure it out. Qui-Gon's prophecy was trying to tell him something, trying to make him see a part of the prophecy that he didn't at first. But Anakin couldn't seem to figure out what it is that he is supposed to see and he had a feeling that he wouldn't learn what he was supposed to find out until the time arrived.

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 13**

**Darth: it was short**

**Blaze: yeah, I know**

**Palpypie: ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE!**

**Blaze: mwahahahahahaha, you don't know anything! Hahahahaha (runs off screaming like a maniac)**

**Darth: all right, who gave Blaze candy again?**

**Anakin: (points at Ahsoka)**

**Ahsoka: (points at Mace)**

**Mace: (runs Palpypie over and points at Obi-Wan)**

**Obi-Wan: (slices Palpypie in half and points at Palpypie)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: (points at Dooku)**

**Dooku: this time, it wasn't me (points at Leia)**

**Leia: I don't like candy (points at Han)**

**Han: (points at Boba Fett)**

**Boba Fett: I didn't do it (points at Anakin)**

**Anakin: (trying to get rid of the candy he gave Blaze) I didn't do it**

**Darth: where's Palpypie? I'll blame him**

**Blaze: (from somewhere in the Antarctic) GOOD CHOICE!**

**Palpypie: why me?! (Takes off running screaming like a girl)**

**Darth: (brings out nuclear tipped missile launcher) I'll make it easy this time**

**Blaze: (still in Antarctica) please review and I'll post chapter 14 as soon as I possibly can but please try to help me get 130 reviews before the next chapter is posted and sorry this chapter wasn't that long, I'll make the next one longer, I promise.**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Blaze: wow, I got 133 reviews in just a few days**

**Darth: dang**

**Blaze: yeah**

**Darth: this is going to be a short chapter, isn't it?**

**Blaze: probably**

**Darth: how many pages?**

**Blaze: 265292532**

**Darth: ha, like you could type that many pages for one chapter**

**Blaze: you've got a point, I'll say six, maybe eight**

**Darth: better**

**Palpypie: hi**

**Blaze: Palpypie died! Palpypie died!**

**Palpypie: Anakin's gonna die! Anakin's gonna die!**

**Blaze: (scowls angrily, slices Palpypie in half and stalks off)**

**Darth: nice going, you pissed off Blaze **_**again!**_

**Palpypie's Ghost: (grumbles)**

**Darth: here's chapter fourteen and Blaze hopes that you like it, reviews are appreciated. And yes this is AU, meaning the creatures that come into the story in this chapter come in different from canon.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Obi-Wan Kenobi narrowed his eyes as Anakin walked into the room that he had given the old Jedi Master. Yoda was also there though the Solo Siblings were with Han and Leia while Luke was touring the _Executor_ with Anakin's mechanic Mara Jade. Anakin had left only a few minutes before when Admiral Ozzel asked him to come onto the bridge.

"What happened?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin smiled. "Why do you assume something happened?" he asked but, before Obi-Wan could reply, he shrugged. "Ozzel wanted to tell me that a ship came into the sector we dropped out of hyperspace into. He says that they wish to speak with me and their shuttle is currently heading toward hangar bay three of the _Executor_."

Yoda frowned. "Strange this is," he said.

"Not really," Anakin said. "A small feeling in the Force is telling me to act casual and yet to be on by guard. I have reason to believe we may not have to travel the remaining eight parsecs to the Unknown Regions but I cannot be sure."

"The Grand Admiral could this person be?"

"Perhaps."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "And you came to tell us this why? I know you well enough to know that you would not just come in here to tell us this if it wasn't for a reason," he said.

Anakin turned to look at him. "Thrawn and I may respect each other but we do not like each other so I will need someone to back me up, especially if the Noghri are with him," he said.

"Noghri?" Yoda echoed.

"Yes, the Noghri like Thrawn and I but when Thrawn went to the Unknown Regions for a mission Palpatine would not tell me about, I let the Noghri go with him. I cannot say if the Noghri still resent me for that," Anakin replied.

"And you want us there to prevent these Noghri from stopping the alliance you wish to form with this Thrawn?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Not both of you, just Obi-Wan," Anakin replied.

Yoda narrowed his eyes. "Why?" he asked.

"I would prefer to be with just Obi-Wan," Anakin replied, his eyes narrowed and Obi-Wan caught a brief flash of coldness in his voice. He remembered that Anakin was too newly on the light side of the Force that anything may toss him back into the darkness.

"I will go with him, Master Yoda. Perhaps you can speak with the Solo siblings. They seemed to want to learn from the Jedi Master that teaches their master in the future," Obi-Wan said throwing Yoda a warning look.

_He is too newly on the light side of the Force, Master Yoda. Anything, I mean anything, can push him back into the darkness,_ he said silently through the Force.

_Understand this I do but like it I do not,_ Yoda said silently. "Speak with the Solo siblings I will while meet with this new person you two shall," he added out loud before he climbed to his feet and made his way out of the room. Anakin watched him go before looking back at Obi-Wan.

"Come, we must not keep him waiting," he said before he turned around and led the way out of the room. Obi-Wan jogged after his former Padawan and he noticed that Anakin seemed more at ease as they made their way away from the room.

"Anakin?" he said walking to his former Padawan's side.

"Yes Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked glancing at him.

"Why did you just want me to come with you and not Master Yoda?"

Anakin stayed silent for a long moment as he turned his gaze to the hallway that lay in front of him. "I do not trust him," he said finally. "I do not trust any Jedi of the Old Order aside from you and I know that it will take me some time to trust them again."

"Why don't you trust them?"

Anakin pursed his lips together. "They were the ones that helped Palpatine take over the galaxy," he said. "They may not have known it at the time but they were still partially responsible. I was not lying when I said I could see through the lies of the Jedi. I saw through the façade that they put on to make everyone believe that they were in no way responsible for what happened."

Obi-Wan stopped before stretching out a hand to stop Anakin. "Anakin, that is not true," he said.

"You're blind, Obi-Wan," Anakin snapped turning to glare at Obi-Wan. "The Jedi are supposed to be the keepers of the peace and yet they still hastened forward throughout the war, not once pausing to think of a way to stop it. The Jedi are supposed to be powerful on the light side of the Force, able to continue to keep the peace, and yet they couldn't stop many of their kind to die. Not to mention they say they follow the will of the Force and the Jedi Code but what they don't see is that the Jedi Code is different in the eyes of many."

Anakin paused for a long moment, looking away as he examined a nearby wall. "I loved Padmé, I really did. I knew it was against the Jedi Code but then I began to look at the Code from a different point of view. The code says, _there is no passion, there is serenity_. The thing I noticed most of all is that passion is many different emotions all rolled up into one. Passion is love, anger, hatred, joy, and so many other emotions, some of which are central to the life of a Jedi. I felt that even though I was in love it didn't stop me from accomplishing the trials that were placed in front of me."

"And yet you still turned to the dark side," Obi-Wan said softly.

Anakin turned to glare at him. "I did it to save someone's life," he snapped. "The Jedi would never have understood the true reason why I turned to the dark side. I wanted to save Padmé and the Jedi would not have helped me. Instead of helping me stop my visions from coming true, they would kick me out of the Order."

"You could have told me," Obi-Wan said. "You should have trusted me enough to tell me the truth and yet you kept it to yourself until I learned it, not from you, but from Padmé herself."

Anakin was silent for a long moment. "The Jedi do love," he said. "They love the people that they protect, even it isn't passionate love, it's still unconditional love. It doesn't matter how you describe it, how you define it, it is still the same, it is still love. Compassion is love, passion is love, it is all the same thing."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes. "Not all love is the same, Anakin," he said.

"It is," he said in reply to Obi-Wan's statement.

Obi-Wan sighed. "From a certain point of view," he said.

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "That is what I am trying to tell you," he snapped. "What I'm trying to say is that the Jedi Code can mean many things, they can have two meanings to the same line but one person sees one meaning while another sees the second but none see both meanings of the Jedi Code."

"And you think you have?"

"I know I have!"

Obi-Wan let out a long sigh. "Anakin, the Code may have two meanings to the same line and you may have seen both meanings but it does not account for the crimes you have committed since you turned to the dark side," he said.

"I regret them, Obi-Wan," Anakin murmured. "I thought Palpatine could save Padmé's life. I thought that he could teach me to stop death but now that I think about it, Palpatine knew all along that he couldn't stop death. Death is the only thing that is certain in life and sometimes you cannot stop it, especially if the Force decrees that it is your destiny. I understand that now and I wish that I knew what I knew now then."

"I know, Anakin. Perhaps things would have been different if you had the knowledge you have now during the time when you needed it the most."

Anakin stayed silent for a long moment. "Come, we need to keep going," he said before he led the way down the hallway. Obi-Wan followed him though he couldn't help but think about what Anakin had said about the different types of love. He knew that he had been in love before but he and the one he was in love with decided it was best for the Jedi Order if they did not act upon it.

But Obi-Wan still felt it, the passionate love that Anakin had felt. _Perhaps Anakin is right and there are two meanings to the Jedi Code,_ he thought but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he followed Anakin toward the hangar bay.

* * *

Anakin narrowed his eyes as he walked into the hangar bay as the shuttle landed. He noticed that it was an Imperial shuttle while the ship that lay in the space beyond the shields was a Star Destroyer. Strangely, Anakin recognized the Star Destroyer as the _Chimera_, the Star Destroyer that had been patrolling this area of the Empire in search of the Rebellion when the Empire thought they were stationed here.

_I guess that the Emperor wanted to keep this area secure just in case the Rebellion should come here,_ he thought as he made his way toward the landing bay. The shuttle had completely landed and the boarding ramp of the ship went down.

A lanky gentleman that Anakin recognized at Captain Pelleaon was the first one out followed by five short clawed blue-gray skinned and black eyed creatures that Anakin recognized as the Noghri. Just behind the Noghri came the one person Anakin knew he would be seeing today.

The alien was dressed in white, the color of a Grand Admiral. His pale blue skin and shiny blue-black hair signaled him out as alien in spite of his humanlike body. His glowing red eyes scanned the area before turning to look at Anakin as the Emperor made his way over to join the group.

"Lord Vader," Pellaeon greeted him.

"Captain Pellaeon," Anakin replied calmly though his eyes were on the Grand Admiral. "And I take it you have not heard the news?"

"News?" Pellaeon echoed.

"Yes, Emperor Palpatine was killed and, before he died, he named me his heir," Anakin replied. Inwardly he was grimacing, he never wanted to be the Emperor and yet here he was, in charge of the Empire.

Pellaeon frowned. "I had not heard that," he admitted.

"Captain Pellaeon just barely ascended to his position as captain," Grand Admiral Thrawn said in his coolly calculating voice as he made his way past his Noghri bodyguards and came to a stop in front of Anakin. "I, however, heard the news, your Majesty."

Anakin nodded once. "We were not expecting to find you here, Thrawn," he said, his voice was cool and he and the Grand Admiral stared each other down before Anakin was forced to look away from the alien's glowing red eyes.

"Indeed, I was not expecting to find you here," Thrawn agreed before he turned his scarlet eyes to Obi-Wan. "I had not realized you brought company with you."

"This is Obi-Wan, he is a friend," Anakin replied gesturing toward Obi-Wan who lowered his head in greeting.

"It is strange to find the Emperor this close to the Unknown Regions. I thought as soon as the Emperor was killed, you would head straight to Coruscant."

"We were delayed by complications," Anakin replied. "But we came toward the Unknown Regions because I need to speak with you, Grand Admiral, of a matter of most urgency."

"I see, and what would this matter be?" asked Thrawn.

"May we speak alone?"

Thrawn glanced at his Noghri bodyguards before he looked back at Anakin. "Would you not mind if the Noghri had a chance to stretch their legs and roam the _Executor_?" he asked.

"Feel free," Anakin replied. "Just do not harm anyone."

"We would not harm anyone, Lord Vader, you have our word," the catlike voice of the first Noghri said lowering his head in deep gratitude to Anakin.

Anakin nodded once in reply and the Noghri slowly made their way away from Thrawn and Anakin and Anakin watched as they disappeared within the many hallways leading away from the hangar bay.

Obi-Wan frowned. "They seem to be thankful toward you for some reason," he said.

Anakin shrugged. "The Empire helped to stop the poisoning of their planet," he replied. When the Empire had arrived to Honoghr, the Noghri were in need of help and Anakin and the Empire had helped Honoghr before they enlisted the Noghri to become the Empire's personal _Death Commandos_.

* * *

Grand Admiral Thrawn followed the Lord Darth Vader as he led the way toward his private room. As he entered the room with Captain Pellaeon just behind him, he narrowed his scarlet eyes. "What is this matter of utmost urgency?" he asked.

Vader glanced at him. "There is this Clan of creatures known as the Yuuzhan Vong who are ruthless and evil," he said. "They are creatures who kill just because they want to and will enslave the entire galaxy if we cannot stop them."

"Yuuzhan Vong? I have never heard of them," Pellaeon admitted.

"Nor have I," replied Thrawn, his eyes narrowed. "Are you absolutely sure they wish to take over the galaxy?"

"Yes," Vader replied. "I sought you out because I wish to form an Alliance with the Chiss Empire for I fear that the Empire, alone, will be unable to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong and the Rebellion will not help."

Thrawn narrowed his eyes though his posture was still calm. "The Chiss Empire knew something was coming," he said. "We knew that something would come but we did not expect them to come this soon. Some of our researchers predicted the coming to be more than thirty years from now," he said.

"It is complicated to explain," Vader said. "But the Yuuzhan Vong are here and if we do not defeat them then the future will be destroyed."

Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "The future?" he echoed.

Vader narrowed his eyes. "The Force," he replied. "It has much to do with the Force. I know that you do not know much about the Force but that is the key to the Yuuzhan Vong coming ahead of schedule."

"I see."

"And if we do not have the Chiss Empire to help us then we will become enslaved or killed by the Yuuzhan Vong. I hope to get the Rebellion to help us but I fear I will be unable to do so, so I need another ally."

"I see." Thrawn fell silence as he thought about Vader's words. They made sense, Thrawn did not want his kind to become enslaved or killed. As he considered Vader's words, Pellaeon seemed to be doing the same thing.

"He makes sense, Grand Admiral," said Pellaeon.

"Indeed he does," Thrawn agreed. "But I must speak with the leaders of the Five Ruling families before I am to make my decision. I will get back with you, your Majesty, on my decision."

"Thank you, Grand Admiral," Vader replied lowering his head and Thrawn saw deep gratitude in the blue eyes of the dark lord.

* * *

Luke narrowed his eyes as he walked beside Mara down the hallways of the huge Super Star Destroyer, the _Executor._ Mara was a beautiful young lady and Luke couldn't help but wonder as to how he would be able to marry such a beautiful woman. Mara, as if noticing Luke was gazing at her, glanced at him. "What?" she asked.

Luke lowered his head before shaking it once to tell Mara 'it was nothing'. Mara pursed her lips together but nodded and they walked onward. Luke could tell by Mara's posture that she was angry but he couldn't figure out as to why he was angry. He pulled out the datapad he had grabbed from his room when they passed by it before he wrote on it.

'_You seem angry,_' the datapad read and Luke handed it to Mara who took it before reading words.

"I am not angry," she said handing the datapad back. "I just cannot believe that the Emperor is gone. He basically raised me and taught me everything that I know and now that he's gone, it's all coming as a shock."

'_Was it like he was your father?_' Luke wrote onto the datapad.

Mara shook her head after she read the datapad. "No, he was more like a mentor," she said.

'_Oh okay,_' Luke wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Mara.

Mara glanced at him. "How do you handle being mute?" she asked.

'_I was born this way so I guess I'm used to it though I have wondered as to what my voice would sound like if I could talk,_' he wrote onto the pad before showing it to the flaming red haired girl.

Before Mara could reply, five short blue-gray skinned, black-eyed creatures walked down the hallway before coming to a stop in front of Luke and Mara. The first creature frowned. "Hello," the creature greeted them in a catlike voice. "You smell like Lord Vader."

Luke frowned. _What is that supposed to mean?_ He thought.

"My name is Rukh," said the creature.

"What are you?" Mara asked.

Rukh turned his gaze to Mara. "I am a Noghri," he replied. "And I, and the rest of my Clan, are in debt to the Lord Vader. You smell like Lord Vader so who are you?"

Luke frowned, unsure of how to respond to the Noghri's question. Mara glanced at him before looking at the Noghri. "His name is Luke Skywalker," she said. "I guess he smells like Vader because he's related to him."

"Why was he unable to speak for himself?"

"Because he cannot speak," Mara said.

Luke lowered his head as the Noghri looked at him and, for a long moment, Rukh studied him. "Now that I think about it, his scent may be similar to Lord Vader's but there is something about it that is different," he said. "We may be able to smell bloodlines but I can smell a slight, only a slight, difference. I would assume this difference is Young Vader's inability to speak."

Luke winced. '_Will you tell them not to call me young Vader?_' he wrote onto the datapad before handing it to Mara who read it before frowning.

"Luke said not to call him young Vader," she said handing the datapad back to Luke.

"What shall we call you then?" Rukh asked.

'_Just call me Luke,_' Luke wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Mara who repeated it to the Noghri.

"Very well Luke," Rukh said. "Now if you shall excuse us, we would like to continue our tour of this ship." Luke and Mara nodded before they stepped aside to allow the five Noghri to walk past them.

'_That was strange,_' he wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Mara.

"Yes it was," agreed Mara and the two of them began walking down the hallways again. And as they walk, they began to speak. More or less, Mara spoke and Luke wrote but nonetheless, they began to learn more about each other, and about the lives they led before they met each other onboard the _Executor._

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: LUKE/MARA!**

**Darth: Mara is a hottie**

**Blaze: I love this pairing so I had to bring it in**

**Darth: I thought no one liked Luke/Mara in Vader/Luke stories**

**Blaze: well, in my opinion, tough**

**Darth: that's mean**

**Blaze: it's not like I'm going to go in depth on it, I'm just pointing out that this is a pairing in this story**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Anakin: hi**

**Blaze: ANAKIN! (Tackles Anakin)**

**Anakin: (Startled) uh hello? (Hugs Blaze back)**

**Palpypie: ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE!**

**Anakin: (Scowls, stabs Palpypie, picks up Blaze and stalks off)**

**Obi-Wan: nice going, you pissed off Anakin**

**Palpypie's Ghost: but I didn't do anything**

**Darth: (scowls, makes Palpypie alive, stabs Palpypie, and stalks off)**

**Obi-Wan: nice going, you pissed off Darth**

**Palpypie's Ghost: but I didn't say anything**

**Obi-Wan: (sigh) please review and Blaze will post chapter fifteen as soon as she possibly can. She hopes to get at least 150 reviews mainly because Blaze'll most likely not post a new chapter for a few months.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Blaze: yes! Finally a new chapter**

**Darth: it's about time, you already got over 150 reviews on this story**

**Blaze: yeah, I know**

**Darth: so?**

**Palpypie: ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE!**

**Blaze: (blasts Palpypie into nothingness)**

**Nothingness: I don't want him!**

**Blaze: Sorry, here's the long awaited chapter 15 and I hope that you like it. Sorry if it's short, it is only three pages long, and reviews are once again appreciated.**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Leia narrowed her eyes as Vader and Obi-Wan finished explaining the conversation between the Emperor and Thrawn. Thrawn had agreed to stay the night on the _Executor_ before he headed back to the Unknown Regions. Even though he said he would think about it, Leia couldn't help but wonder if it would be enough.

As if reading her thoughts, Vader said, "Even with the Chiss Empire, it may not be enough."

Jaina, who was sitting beside Han and Chewbaca, shook her head. "We were having trouble beating them in the future with just the New Republic. We need more help than the Chiss Empire, we also need the Rebellion," she said.

Jacen glanced at Leia. "Leia, in the future, you're a former rebel leader so you're the only one that can convince the Alliance to join us," he said.

"The Alliance would never join with the Empire," Leia said softly.

"We can't beat the Yuuzhan Vong without them," Anakin Solo said.

"I thought we were just supposed to be protecting Luke and Leia," Han protested.

"The Yuuzhan Vong will kill anyone who gets in their way and they won't care as to how many innocents die," Jacen replied to Han's statement.

Leia sighed. She didn't know how she knew but she knew that her future daughter was right. She glanced briefly at her father and said, quietly, "I'll talk to them and convince them that we have to join the Empire."

The Alderaanian Princess couldn't help but examine her father as she said that. She knew it would take a lot before she would forgive Vader and, at the same time, get used to the fact that he was her father. She still couldn't understand as to why her adopted father hadn't told her the truth but she figured it was because of who Vader was.

"That will have to do for now," Vader said quietly.

"Where's the kid?" Han asked suddenly after a few moments of silence had passed by.

"He went with Mara on a walk throughout the _Executor_," Vader replied.

"I think I'll go find him," the captain of the _Millennium Falcon_ said as he got to his feet. He moved toward Vader and, when Vader didn't stop him, he left the room quickly.

"Know where the Vong are do you?" Yoda asked curiously.

Jacen shook his head. "We can sense their ships but not them," he replied.

"That why is?"

"The Vong don't have a Force presence," Anakin explained.

"Can you sense their ships location?" asked Obi-Wan.

"They're not close enough for us to sense their ships," said Jaina.

"That's a bit of good news right now," Vader commented. "It means they still don't know where Luke and Leia are."

"But how many more innocents have died since the Yuuzhan Vong arrived?" Leia demanded. She turned to glare at Vader. "You probably don't even care about all those innocents!"

Vader's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed with anger. "Of course I care about them," he snapped coolly. "That's why I tried to convince Palpatine not to create that damn Death Star."

"Death Star?"

"It's a contraption that can destroy an entire planet and…" Vader broke off before swearing under his breath.

"What is it, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked alarmed.

"The Yuuzhan Vong are loose in the galaxy, if they find the Death Star…"

"…Then they'll have the power to destroy planets," Obi-Wan finished, his eyes going wide.

"Precisely." Vader quickly ran out of the room with Obi-Wan just behind him, heading straight toward the communication chambers.

* * *

Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin narrowed his eyes as the holographic image of the newly appointed Emperor Vader appeared before him. Vader looked a bit agitated though the hood of his dark cloak was hiding his facial features from Tarkin's view. "To what do I owe the honor, your Majesty?" He asked.

"Is the Death Star operational?" Vader demanded quickly.

"Actually yes it is, we finished ahead of schedule," Tarkin replied with a small smile. "We haven't finished the outer shell yet but we wouldn't have made the Death Star operational if it wasn't for a group of aliens who offered to work for us for free."

"What were these aliens called?" Vader sounded urgent.

"They call themselves the Yuuzhan Vong," Tarkin replied.

Vader swore under his breath. Tarkin realized that the Emperor was swearing in Huttese. "I'm ordering you to abandon the Death Star project immediately," he ordered swiftly and coolly.

Tarkin frowned. "Don't you want to test it to make sure it actually works?" he asked curiously.

"No, just abandon the project and…"

"Why would he want to do that, your Majesty?" a thickly accented voice said and Tarkin glanced over his shoulder as the Yuuzhan Vong leader, Shimmra Jamaane, walked forward with Tsavong Lah just behind him.

"Tarkin, if you listen to anything that Yuuzhan Vong says, you will be committing treason," Vader said.

"I've never liked you Vader," Tarkin said coolly. "And Shimrra here promised me unlimited power if I do as he said."

"We are currently above Alderaan, Shimmra," Tsavong said turning his gaze to Shimmra who nodded before he turned his gaze to the holographic image of Vader. "You have twenty-four hours, your Majesty, to deliver, at the very least, Skywalker to me or we'll destroy Alderaan," he said. "If you have Organa as well then deliver them both to me."

Tarkin cut the transmission after that before glancing at Shimmra and Tsavong. "You told me that you'd tell me how you found out about this project so how did you?" he asked after a moment of thought.

"While we were searching for information on Skywalker, Organa, and Vader, we found information in Palpatine's palace database about it," Tsavong replied.

"Those are private records!"

"So?"

Tarkin didn't reply for a long moment before he turned his gaze to Alderaan. "Who exactly will you be able to give me ultimate power?" he asked.

Shimmra's blue eye sacks moved together in the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a smile. "All in good time, Tarkin, all in good time."

* * *

"What?" Leia exclaimed when Anakin finished explaining Shimmra's ultimatum. "They can't do that, Alderaan is peaceful, we won't be able to fight back."

"Leia, you need to contact Alderaan and tell them they have twenty-four hours to evacuate the planet," Anakin said.

"We won't be able to evacuate everyone in so little time!"

"Well I have no intention of giving you and Luke to the Yuuzhan Vong so you're going to have to save as many people on Alderaan as you can," Anakin replied urgently.

"Bluffing could they be?" Yoda asked.

"The Yuuzhan Vong don't bluff," Jacen said.

Anakin glanced at his daughter. "There's a communications chamber in the next room," he said. "I suggest that you hurry."

Leia didn't reply to that as she got to her feet before hurrying toward the chambers. Anakin watched her go before looking at Obi-Wan. "If the Yuuzhan Vong destroy Alderaan using Tarkin's Death Star then it's going to widen the rift between the Empire and the Alliance. They won't be good." he said.

"No it won't," Obi-Wan agreed. "But I don't think we can help that. We have to hope that the Alliance will listen when we try to explain that Alderaan's destruction was not your fault."

Anakin grimaced. "That's not going to be easy," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

Luke sat down beside Mara in one of the hangar bays of the _Executor_, his datapad resting on his lap and Mara glanced at him. "Don't you ever wonder what your own voice sounds like?" she asked curiously.

Luke shrugged before he picked up the datapad. '_Sometimes,_' he wrote onto it before handing it to Mara who read it before nodding and gazing at the stars that lay outside of the force field of the hangar bay.

Mara sighed. "I probably should be getting back to work but I have nothing to do because everything seems to be functional," she said.

Luke gazed at the beautiful young woman at his side and, when Mara glanced at him, he quickly looked away, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. Mara seemed to have noticed the blush because she chuckled and turned her gaze to the force field, her eyes lost in thought. Luke gazed at her for a long moment before glancing at the datapad in his hands and he quickly wrote down something before handing it to Mara.

Mara took the pad before reading it quickly. "I don't really know who my parents are," she admitted handing the datapad back to Luke. "I was raised by Palpatine on Coruscant so I never knew who my parents were."

'_I never knew about my parents until I found out from Vader, I mean Anakin, that he was my father. I don't even know who my mother is and I've never had a chance to ask Anakin about her,_' Luke wrote onto the datapad before handing it to Mara.

Mara read the message before blinking sympathetically at him. "I guess we have something in common then, we both never knew our mothers," she said.

Luke smiled slightly before lowering his head, another blush coloring his cheeks and Mara chuckled. "Why are you blushing?" she asked.

'_No reason_,' Luke wrote onto the datapad when Mara handed it back to him.

The flaming haired young woman laughed, a small smile on her facial features. "I'm sure," she said.

Han walked into the hangar bay at that moment and Luke glanced up as the captain of the _Millennium Falcon_ walked over to join them. "Hey there kid," he greeted him.

'_Hi Han, what's up?_' Luke wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Han who read it quickly.

"Nothing much though those Yuuzhan Vong people are getting on my nerves," Han replied handing the datapad back.

'_Why?_' Luke wrote down.

"Because they're planning on destroying the planet Alderaan if your dad doesn't hand ya and Leia over," Han growled angrily.

Luke's eyes widened with shock. '_But my Aunt and Uncle are on Alderaan,_' he wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Han.

Han sighed. "The Princes is talking with the people of Alderaan and they're going to evacuate as much of Alderaan as they possibly can in the amount of time given to them. Your aunt and uncle will probably be apart of those people," he said.

'_I hope so,_' Luke wrote onto the datapad though he couldn't help but feel worried about the two that had raised him for fifteen years of his life before he found his father. He had to hope that his aunt and uncle would get off of Alderaan before the planet was destroyed but he couldn't be sure if they were going to get off the planet.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: the next chapter will be longer, I promise you that**

**Darth: Alderaan's going to be destroyed?**

**Blaze: you heard Jacen, the Vong don't bluff**

**Darth: that's not good**

**Blaze: no it is not, please review and I will post chapter sixteen, which will be twice as long as this chapter, as soon as I possibly can**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Blaze: yay, a new chapter**

**Darth: it's about time**

**Blaze: you're telling me, I'm trying once again to update as many stories as I possibly can but I doubt it will be all at the same time**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Palpypie: (opens mouth)**

**Blaze: (pulls out rocket launcher)**

**Palpypie: (hands Blaze candy)**

**Blaze: candy! (Takes candy and starts to eat it) Here's chapter sixteen and I hope that you like it. Oh and I'd like to thank Wolf for pointing out that the Vong wouldn't have used the Death Star, they would have destroyed it. Thanks!**

**Chapter Sixteen**

"You know this is not right, using this piece of machinery," Warmaster Tsavong Lah murmured to the Supreme Commander of the Yuuzhan Vong in their own language so Grand Moff Tarkin could not understand what they were saying.

Shimmra Jamaane glanced briefly at Tsavong. "We need to make an example for the Emperor," he replied calmly in the Yuuzhan Vong language. "I hate using it any more than you do but when I learned about it, I realized that the Empire and the Alliance could very well use this…_machine_ against us. We'll make an example out of Alderaan, Warmaster, and then we'll destroy it ourselves."

Tsavong narrowed his eyes even more. "Perhaps but I do not think Emperor Vader will give in this easily. He will not give Organa and Skywalker to you," he said.

"Perhaps he will not," Shimmra agreed. His blue eye sacks moved in the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a thoughtful frown. "The Rebel Alliance, however, are not likely to join forces with the Empire, no matter what happens to them. I think, perhaps, that we should take out the Alliance."

"We only want Skywalker and Organa, if those two die, the Jedi will not be reborn and the dreadful Solo siblings will never be born," Tsavong pointed out.

"Yes but we must make it clear to Emperor Vader that we will _not_ take no for an answer," Shimmra said firmly. "How many hours until Vader's deadline is up?"

"One," the Warmaster replied. "Grand Moff Tarkin will speak with him and get his answer."

"That makes sense. We may have translators but we know little of this Basic language in order to speak it fluently."

As if on cue, Tarkin walked over to join them. "Lord Vader just contacted me and says that he will _not_ concede to your demands," he said.

"Grand Moff, I see transports making jumps to hyperspace almost as soon as they leave the atmosphere of Alderaan," a sergeant working in the lower levels of the Death Star's bridge, called glancing up at the Grand Moff.

Tarkin's nostrils flared with anger. "What?" he demanded. He looked at the screen. "On screen," he ordered. A moment later, the scene above Alderaan enlarged and Tarkin watched as a few more transports disappeared into hyperspace once they cleared Alderaan's atmosphere.

"What are they doing?" Tsavong asked.

"Someone must have warned them and they are trying to abandon the planet," Tarkin explained. Tsavong knew that the Grand Moff entirely sure if the Yuuzhan Vong could understand what he was saying however.

Shimmra's blue eye sacks moved in a Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a scowl of anger. "Fire on the planet, now!" he ordered. Taking that as his cue, Tsavong drifted backwards before gesturing to a few members of his clan. They followed him as he walked quickly down the hallways of the Death Star, not seeing the destruction of Alderaan through the large viewports of the Death Star.

"Where are we going?" one of the Vong members asked.

"To destroy this contraption," Tsavong replied.

"How are we going to do that?"

"I managed to snag these from the armory in this…_machine_," Tsavong replied pulling out at least five thermal detonators. "They were programmed to be timed so I can set them off when Shimmra joins us in our ship."

"Will it be enough? This is a big place." Nei Rin asked.

"Mezhan is already putting the others into place," Tsavong replied. He may not like using weaponry such as thermal detonators but he knew that this may be the only thing that could destroy the Death Star.

Walking quickly into the room surrounding the main reactor core of the Death Star, Tsavong handed the thermal detonators out and issued quick orders to have them placed at separate locations as far from each other as possible.

When the detonators were in place, Tsavong gestured briefly for his companions to follow him before he led the way toward the hangar bay. Moving as fast as they were, they managed to make it to the hangar bay at the same time as Mezhan Kwaad and Shimmra Jamaane.

"Are they in place?" Shimmra asked.

"Yes."

"Then let's get off of this vile piece of machinery," Shimmra said grimly. He led the way into their yorik coral transport before, once everyone was situated, started the ship up and flew it out of the Death Star's hangar bay. Once it was well away from the Death Star and heading back to the main ship that was lying several parsecs away from the large space station, Shimmra pressed the trigger to the many thermal detonators that were activated and attached to the main reactors of the Death Star.

Without bothering to watch the Death Star explode into a bunch of brilliant fragments, Tsavong watched as his commander flew the yorik coral ship to their flagship lying in the distance.

* * *

"What do you mean the Death Star blew up soon after Alderaan was destroyed?" Vader exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock when he got the report from one of the Imperials that escaped Alderaan before its' destruction.

"It blew up, your Majesty, just as I said," the Imperial replied saluting. "I don't know what happened. I was guiding my troops off of the planet when suddenly I saw the space station explode into a million fragments. Many of those fragments crashed into the asteroids that now surrounded Alderaan and it made it treacherous going for everyone who was trying to escape."

"This is most surprising," Vader murmured. "Thank you, Captain." With that, Vader cut the transmission before turning to look at Han who was watching with him narrowed eyes. The captain of the _Millennium Falcon_ had followed Vader more because he was bored than anything else and he was a bit surprised to learn that the Death Star was destroyed as well as Alderaan.

"What are you doing here?" Vader asked curiously.

"I was bored," Han replied a bit sarcastically.

Vader sighed. "How's Leia?" he asked.

Han snorted. "Not so good, Alderaan's destruction shook her very much. I can't imagine how the kid is feeling," he said.

Vader winced slightly. "Will you go find him and check on him?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Sure thing," Han replied glad to get out of Vader's presence now that he learned what had happened. He turned around before quickly making his way out of the room and jogging down the hallways.

He found Luke with Mara in Vader's sparring room and the kid didn't look too good. His eyes were filled with something close to unbearable grief and his shoulders shook with each sob that escaped his lips. Mara put an arm around Luke's shoulders before glancing up.

"I just told him what happened to Alderaan," she said softly.

"What about his aunt and uncle?" Han asked.

Mara shook her head. "From the information I got from Intelligence, they weren't among the ones that escaped," she said quietly. Han noticed that she had grown quite close to Luke in the days they had spent together and he had to force himself not to smile though a small one escaped anyway.

"Wipe that grin off your face, Solo, before I do it for you," Mara snapped hotly.

"Sorry," Han said though his small smile had turned into a full fledged grin.

Luke glanced up before pulling his datapad out of his pocket and writing quickly on it before holding it out for Han. The captain took the datapad before reading it, '_how's Leia?_'

"She isn't doing much better, Kid," Han admitted handing the datapad back. "I'm sorry about your guardians."

Luke smiled faintly before writing quickly on the datapad and handing it to Han. '_Thanks, Han,_' the datapad read.

"I'd better go join Luke. Are you gonna come back with me?" Han asked handing the datapad back.

Luke nodded before slowly getting to his feet and Mara helped him up, keeping at his side as they moved toward the door after Han. The captain led them down the hallway and toward the rooms were the others were located.

* * *

Obi-Wan glanced up as Han, Luke and a red haired seventeen year old girl with green eyes walked into the room. He pushed himself to his feet before walking over to join Luke. "Are you all right, Luke?" he asked.

Luke glanced up at him before writing quickly on the datapad and handing it to the aging Jedi Master. '_I've been better, Ben. Is Leia all right?_' the datapad read. Obi-Wan noticed that Luke was more concerned about his sister than himself. He knew that Leia was his sister only because he had been able to piece the truth together when Vader told the Alderaanian princess that he was her father.

Obi-Wan rested a hand on Luke's shoulder. "She's a bit distraught," he murmured gesturing with his head toward where Leia was resting her head in her hands and sobbing quietly into them. Han took a step forward but Obi-Wan placed a restraining hand in front of him. "Let Luke go," he murmured.

Han hesitated for a moment. "All right," he said finally and Luke walked past Obi-Wan and Han and over to join his sister. Obi-Wan gazed after him for a long moment before looking toward the door as Anakin walked into it, his eyes narrowed and deep in thought.

"Anakin?" he said softly.

Anakin blinked his blue eyes a few times. "What is it, Obi-Wan?" he asked.

"You seemed to be spacing out," Obi-Wan replied.

Anakin smiled faintly. "I just learned that the Death Star has been destroyed," he replied.

"That's the Yuuzhan Vong for you," Jacen said. "They do not approve of technology like the Death Star and I think the only reason they used it was to give you an example of what they will do to get your children. Now that the Death Star is gone, they won't have the power to destroy a planet but that's the biggest thing that they could have done."

"Yes but they won't stop at that," Anakin Solo said.

"I just realized something," Han said.

"What's that?" Leia asked softly lifting her head slightly while Luke was comforting her as best as he possibly could.

"If Vader's really going by Anakin then how are we going to distinguish Luke's father from Leia's future son?" Han asked curiously.

Anakin Skywalker smiled faintly. "That would get confusing after a while," he admitted.

"Truly," Anakin Solo agreed.

Leia laughed slightly and Obi-Wan felt relieved to hear the young Alderaanian princess laughed. Han had a knack of making humor of even the most serious of situations in the time that Obi-Wan had taught him. "How about young Anakin and elder Anakin?" she suggested.

Luke smiled, telling Obi-Wan that he liked that idea.

"All right, I can accept that," elder Anakin said.

"So can I," young Anakin agreed.

"I still don't see you as Anakin Skywalker thought," Leia murmured.

"I'm sure it will come to you in time, Leia," elder Anakin replied with a slight shrug. "Haven't I proved that I'm not Vader yet?"

"In some cases," Leia muttered but she didn't elaborate.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Mara asked breaking an uneasy silence that had befallen the gathered people.

"We're waiting for Thrawn to return with the decision from the Five Ruling Families," elder Anakin replied. "He left six hours ago so it's going to take him a while to reach his territory, or so I would think."

Mara nodded slightly, her eyes narrowing. "Are you going to return to Coruscant?" she asked.

"He can't, we need to get the Rebel Alliance to help us as well," Jaina Solo said, speaking for the first time in a while.

Chewbacca growled in agreement and also breaking the silence that had befallen him for a while. Han glanced at the furry wookie. "Come on, Chewie, elder Anakin hasn't harmed us yet so I don't see why you still don't trust him," he said.

Chewbacca barked something and Han sighed but didn't say anything in reply to whatever it was the wookie had told him.

"That will be much harder now than ever," Jacen mused, "especially if the Alliance believes that elder Anakin was behind the destruction of Alderaan."

"Convince them we must or doomed we are and enslaved by the Yuuzhan Vong we shall be," Yoda said, speaking for the first time in a while.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: this was a short chapter and the next chapter will be longer**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yeah it is**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: so please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yeah it is**

**Darth: is this going to be a long story?**

**Blaze: probably twenty-five or thirty chapters, I ain't sure yet**

**Darth: ha, you sound like Han**

**Blaze: (laughs) here's chapter seventeen and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated and I would be so happy if you helped me get 189 or 190 reviews.**

**Chapter Seventeen**

Grand Admiral Thrawn, surprisingly, didn't have any trouble convincing the rest of the Five Ruling Families to help him and by the time he returned to Emperor Vader's flagship, he felt relieved to have the approval of all the Ruling Families. They had agreed to help the Empire in their fight against the Yuuzhan Vong, more to help their families more than to help the Empire though.

Thrawn made his way down the ramp with his Noghiri bodyguards walking at his side. As he expected, the clone troopers met him before escorting him down the hallways of the _Executor_. He came to a stop outside of the conference room and, once Emperor Vader called for him to enter, he walked in.

There were more people in the conference room than last time. Emperor Vader was at the head of the conference table and at his side was his mute son Luke. Beside Luke was the young man Solo and a flaming red haired girl. Sitting across from those three were the siblings that Thrawn had met the last time he had been there, however briefly, and the Princess of Alderaan was sitting beside them. Standing beside Vader was the old man that Thrawn remembered as Obi-Wan.

"Welcome back, Grand Admiral Thrawn," the Emperor greeted him. He gestured with his hand. "Please, take a seat."

Thrawn nodded before sitting down, Captain Pellaeon stood at his shoulder but didn't say anything as he stood there watching intently. "I have spoken with the Five Ruling Families and they have agreed to lend their help in defeating the Yuuzhan Vong."

Vader looked relieved. "That certainly relieves some stress I've been feeling," he admitted.

"The Chiss Empire are massing their forces as we speak," Thrawn continued. "They wish for me to take charge of them and I will be in charge of them as well as the part of the Imperial Starfleet that Emperor Palpatine placed in my control."

"Understood," Vader replied. "The rest of the Imperial Starfleet will be under my direct leadership and that includes your legion. I give you free reign however to do what you feel should be right against the Yuuzhan Vong, especially concerning plans with the Chiss Empire. I would not wish to anger the Chiss by not allowing them to their own devices."

"I understand this," Thrawn said in reply. "Will we have more allies before we take the fight to the Vong?"

Vader let out a long sigh and Thrawn thought he looked a bit older when he was only in his late thirties. "Princess Leia is trying to contact the Rebel Alliance. If we can get the Alliance to help us then we may stand a chance against the Yuuzhan Vong."

"They aren't to inclined to accept Lord Vader's proposal however," Princess Leia put in. "They feel it is Vader's fault that Alderaan was destroyed. I have tried talking to them but they are too stubborn to listen to reason."

Thrawn narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps negotiations should take place face to face," he suggested. "Gather the leaders of the Rebellion, the leaders of the Chiss Empire, the leaders of the Empire and the ones from the future and let them hash it out. I am sure you," he nodded toward the Solo siblings, "will be able to convince them of the truth."

"Maybe, the Rebel Alliance leaders are very stubborn however," Leia said. "Especially Mon Mothma, she doesn't seem to understand that the Empire had nothing to do with Alderaan."

"Speak to them you must, Leia," a little green dwarf said from where he was sitting, unobtrusively, beside Leia. "Convince them you must or fail we shall."

"I will try my best, Master Yoda, but it will take time. Mon Mothma and the others are very stubborn."

"Ask them if they would be willing to meet on a desolate planet that is neither in the Empire nor a member of the Alliance," Vader suggested after a look at his son. "Luke thinks that it would be best to talk about this out in the open where the rebels can keep an eye on the Imperials and vice versa to make sure nothing happens between the two."

"The Chiss shall be apart of this meeting as well," Thrawn said firmly.

"Of course, Grand Admiral," Vader said with a slight nod.

"We are running out of time," one Solo sibling said quietly, her brown eyes narrowed. "The Yuuzhan Vong are likely planning to attack soon. We need to be ready for them."

"Let's discuss the terms of the truce with the others first," Vader said. "If we cannot get the Rebellion on our side then I fear we will be hard-pressed to win this battle."

* * *

Mon Mothma, leader of the Rebel Alliance, leaned back in her seat as she gazed at the holographic image of Princess Leia Organa of the late Alderaan. She found herself thinking about Leia's proposal and it shocked her to the core. She didn't think that Leia would actually want the Alliance to ally themselves with the very group they were trying to destroy.

"This is unthinkable, Princess," she said firmly. "The Empire will stab you in the back before you can blink. I cannot condone an action that will lead to the deaths of the Alliance members."

"If you don't, Mothma," Leia interrupted her, "then you will condemn millions upon millions of people to a life worse than death. The Empire needs your help. Besides, the Alliance was created to overthrow _Palpatine_ and Palpatine is dead. We have no need to worry about him any longer. Emperor Vader is more than willing to discuss a truce with the Alliance."

"I find that highly unlikely," Mon Mothma retorted

A snort sounded behind Leia and Leia rolled her eyes. "Will you be quiet? You're the one that gave me this task," she snapped.

"I didn't say anything," a familiar voice protested in the background.

Leia snorted. "As I was saying, Lord Vader wishes to meet with the leaders of the Alliance on a desolate planet that is neither apart of the Empire nor a member of the Alliance. An equal amount of Imperials will accompany Vader as how many Rebels accompany you. There will be another group there as well, they call themselves the Chiss."

Mon Mothma narrowed her pale eyes. She knew that she shouldn't believe anything that Vader said but she also knew that this could be her only shot to restore peace to the galaxy. If she could discuss a truce with the Empire then this war could end without costing many people their lives.

"Why?" she asked finally.

"Lord Vader will explain when we meet with you again," Leia replied. "We cannot give away too much information over this line, even though it's secure. Lord Vader fears the…enemy is listening in on our conversations."

Mon Mothma hesitated. "Very well," she said finally. "Where shall we meet?"

There was a long moment of silence as Leia glanced over her shoulder where there was a snort of surprise. Leia frowned. "What do you mean you haven't picked a planet?" she protested.

"I honestly didn't think the Rebels would agree to the meeting," Vader's voice sounded in the background.

"Neither did I," another vaguely familiar voice sounded.

"Will you two be quiet? Leia's trying to talk to Mon Mothma here," a female voice sounded.

"We need to find a planet though," a male voice said.

"What about Akana?" another male voice suggested.

"That would work," Vader said after a moment of silence. "It lies far in the Outer Rim and it's so barren and devoid of life that the…enemy wouldn't think to look there."

Leia nodded before looking back at Mon Mothma. "Can you make it to Akana in three days?" she asked.

"Yes, we can. We are only three days away from the planet as it is," Mon Mothma replied still not trusting enough to give the Alliance's exact location to the Empire.

"Very well, we will see you in three days then," Leia said and then she disconnected the transmission.

* * *

Anakin paced on the bridge of the _Executor_ as the planet Akana appeared before them as the _Executor_ came out of hyperspace. Luke was watching him pace while Leia and Han were speaking quietly to each other in one of the crew pits, ignoring the stares they were receiving from one of the Admirals. Obi-Wan and Yoda were quietly conversing with the Solo Siblings while Mara Jade was standing at Luke's side, also watching the newly returned to the light side Jedi.

_Pacing's not helping anything, Father,_ Luke murmured silently through the Force.

Anakin glanced at Luke. "It calms me down," he admitted out loud. "I have a lot on my mind and pacing always seems to help me."

Luke nodded slowly. _I suppose I shouldn't be too surprise you have a lot on your mind. I mean, you have these crazy aliens trying to kill Leia and I and now your traveling to meet with the very people who are trying to overthrow you. I would be pacing too if I had that much stuff on my mind, _he admitted silently.

Anakin sighed before walking back to his son and placing a hand on his son's shoulder. _I won't let anything happen to you,_ he said silently through the Force.

_I know that, Father, I'm just afraid of what will happen to you. The prophecy that younger Anakin told us makes me feel worried. It said that the 'Prophecy will be fulfilled with the loss of the one that was chosen'. What does that mean?_ Luke asked silently.

Anakin flinched before looking away and hoping that Luke hadn't noticed. He knew the meaning of the prophecy, it meant that in order for him to fulfill his prophecy, he would have to die. It hurt Anakin very much only because he would be forced to leave his son behind, never again to see the beautiful smile that graces his son's facial features.

Luke noticed the flinch however and gazed up at his father. _You know what the prophecy means, don't you?_ He asked quietly.

Anakin kept his gaze fixed on the stars that flashed outside. _You aren't ready to know, Luke,_ he murmured through the Force.

Luke looked about to protest but the Admiral's voice prevented him from doing so. "Your Majesty, we are nearing Akana and there seems to be a mass of Rebel Alliance ships just above the planet," the Admiral said saluting.

"Have the Chiss arrived yet?" Anakin asked turning his blue gaze to the Admiral.

"They just jumped out of hyperspace behind us," the Admiral replied.

"Very well," Anakin said. He glanced at Leia. "Leia, will you contact the Alliance? I think it would be best that I, Mon Mothma, and Grand Admiral Thrawn meet down there with only five others with us."

Leia nodded. Anakin knew that she still didn't trust him but he also knew that the only reason she was listening to him was because the only way they could save the lives of millions is if they work together. While Leia contacted the Rebel Alliance, Anakin turned his attention to the Admiral who was still standing at his side.

"Contact Grand Admiral Thrawn and the Chiss Fleet and tell them the same thing that I told Princess Leia," he said.

"Yes, your Majesty," the Admiral said before he turned his attention to the control panel to contact the Chiss Empire.

"Who are you taking with you?" Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin frowned. He hadn't really thought of that. "Well, I know Jaina, Jacen and Anakin will come with me whether I tell them to or not so I suppose I will take you, Master Yoda, Luke, Solo and the Wookiee. Leia will automatically come with us as well so there's no need to order her to stay away. She is her mother's daughter."

Obi-Wan smiled faintly at that. "True," he agreed.

"We may as well get going. The sooner we get down there the sooner we can get this over with," Anakin said.

Luke smiled at his father. _It'll be over before you know it, Father,_ he said through the Force.

"What about me?" Mara asked suddenly.

Anakin hesitated. "You'll stay here, Jade," he said finally. "I want you to watch the Alliance and make sure they don't try to attack. I may have agreed to this meeting but I still do not trust the Alliance to keep their word."

Mara nodded slowly in reply before she hugged Luke and walked over to join the Admiral even as the rest of the group going with Anakin followed the Emperor as he led the way toward the hangar bay.

* * *

Luke watched as five people made their way over to join him and his father. The representatives of the Empire were standing in what little shade they could find on the barren planet of Akana. Five Chiss, Thrawn among them, stood apart from them and Luke noticed that the leader of the five oncoming people had pale eyes and auburn brown hair.

The auburn haired woman came to a stop a few yards away from Anakin. "Lord Vader, did you not say to come with only five people?" the woman demanded.

"I have no control over what those three," Vader gestured to the Solo siblings, "do or don't do. They came of their own free will and wouldn't stay behind no matter what. The same goes for Princess Leia."

"I understand that you want to form a truce," Mon Mothma said.

"Now that Palpatine is dead, there is no need to keep up the hostilities," Anakin replied calmly. He gestured with his hand and Grand Admiral Thrawn stepped forward. "This is Grand Admiral Thrawn, he is in charge of the Chiss Starfleet as well as part of the Imperial Starfleet. He will be apart of the treaty that we shall or shall not compose here today."

Mon Mothma nodded slowly. "Why exactly are you forming the truce now?" she asked curiously. "After what happened to Alderaan…"

"Alderaan was not my fault," Anakin said quickly. "That is why I have come to speak to you. The Alliance, the Empire and the Chiss have a common enemy, one that wishes to enslave or kill everyone in the galaxy and claim it as their own."

"Who are these people?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Our three hitchhikers can explain it better than us," Anakin replied. "It has to do with the Force but I suppose you will have to listen to them first."

Mon Mothma hesitated before nodding curtly and the Solo Siblings walked forward.

"The beings are known as the Yuuzhan Vong," Jacen began. "They are ruthless, cold-hearted beings who mutilate their own bodies because they feel it is appropriate for their gods."

"They kill anything that is in their way and often torture them to death," Jaina picked up where her twin brother left off.

"My siblings, Jaina and Jacen, and I are from the future," younger Anakin said quietly. "I know you may not believe me," he added when he saw the disbelief on Mon Mothma's face, "but what I say is the truth. Where we come from, we have dealt with the Yuuzhan Vong before. What Jaina and Jacen have said is the truth and we need all the help that we can get to defeat them."

"Who exactly are they?" Mon Mothma asked.

Anakin held out his palm and the holographic image of the Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster, Tsavong Lah, appeared before them, having been captured when Tsavong had first contacted them. Mon Mothma drew back before gasping in utter shock as she gazed at the mutilated form of the Warmaster.

"They are behind the destruction of Alderaan," Anakin said. "They are also behind the destruction of the Death Star that destroyed Alderaan. They have already cost several thousand people their lives and the only way we can prevent more is if we work together."

Mon Mothma narrowed her eyes. "Alderaan was destroyed by an Imperial space station," she said quietly. "That sort of makes me hard-pressed to not agree to this treaty."

"If you do not agree to this treaty then millions of people will either die or become enslaved," Jaina said firmly.

Mon Mothma seemed to realize Jaina's point. "I will think about it," she said finally.

"Think here and now, we'll wait. We are running out of time as it is," elder Anakin said quietly. "We need to hurry if we are to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong before they defeat us. We need all the help we can get before the Vong destroy the galaxy. They will not just destroy the Empire and the Chiss if we do not work together, they will destroy the Alliance as well."

"You do not know that," one of the five people that came with Mon Mothma protested.

"Jaina, Jacen and Anakin know the Yuuzhan Vong more than we do and they have told me this," Anakin said firmly. "The Force brought these three back from the future and the Force is trying to tell us all that we need to work together. If you do not agree to a treaty between our three separate groups then we will never defeat the Vong. Afterwards, we can go back to hating each other if it will please you but I will not stand by and watch as innocents get enslaved or killed."

"It didn't seem to stop you before at the Jedi Temple when you murdered the younglings," Mon Mothma snapped.

Anakin's eyes flared with anger. "_I_ _did not murder the younglings at the Jedi Temple!_" he snarled in rage.

Luke gazed at his father with worry in his eyes before he wrapped his arms around his father's waist. He knew that his father was too newly on the light side so that anything could push him back into the darkness that has claimed his heart for so long. His touch seemed to have done the trick and Anakin took a deep breath before releasing his anger into the Force.

Obi-Wan moved forward along with Yoda. "Mon Mothma, Master Yoda and I are two of the remaining Jedi of the Old Jedi Order. You know as well as we do that Jedi do not lie." He ignored Anakin's snort and muttered "most of the time" as he added, "And I would like to say that what Jaina, Jacen and Anakin say is the truth. We need your help and if we do not get your help then we will lose this battle against the Yuuzhan Vong."

Mon Mothma was silent for a long moment and Luke held his breath, hoping that the Rebel Alliance leader would listen to Obi-Wan if she wouldn't listen to Jaina, Jacen and Anakin. Many minutes went by before Mon Mothma finally nodded. "Very well," she said. "I will agree to this truce but only to protect the lives of the people in our galaxy."

Anakin glanced down at his son. "Breathe, son, breathe," he said quickly when he realized his son was still holding his breath and he patted his back hard. Luke finally let the breath that he had been holding in a relieved silent sigh as Mon Mothma agreed to the truce.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was the long awaited chapter 17**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: if I can get to 200 reviews, I will be happy beyond belief so please review and I will post chapter eighteen as soon as I possibly can, it will be before Christmas, I can assure you that much but I just don't know when. It could even be tomorrow though I highly doubt it.**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup it is and I hope that you like it, reviews, as always, are much appreciated. As usual this is AU because I doubt Mara actually knew about the prophecy of the chosen one or about the Old Jedi Order but I decided to have that in this story.**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Luke was suspicious about what the prophecy the Solo siblings brought from the future meant. He knew that his father knew but Anakin was being silent about it and didn't wish to speak about it no matter how hard Luke tried to get him to speak. He gazed at his father who was talking quietly with Grand Admiral Thrawn's holographic image, the Chiss Admiral was onboard th\e _Chimaera_ with Admiral Pelleaon.

Mara was sitting at his side, watching him with curious green eyes but she stayed silent for a long while. "What's the matter Luke?" she asked finally breaking the silence that had fallen on the two of them since the meeting on Akana two days earlier.

'_I'm just thinking about the prophecy,_' Luke wrote down on the datapad before showing it to Mara who frowned again.

"Why are you worrying about it? It does predict that we are going to win this battle," she commented.

'_It also predicts the death of the one that was chosen and I haven't the slightest clue as to who that is. I don't want to lose anyone,'_ Luke wrote onto the pad before showing it to Mara.

"I doubt that will happen, Luke," Mara said gently.

'_The prophecy says that will happen,'_ Luke wrote down in protest.

"What exactly does the prophecy say?"

Luke thought about the prophecy for a moment. '_The prophecy shall be complete with the loss of the one that was chosen_,' he wrote down once he remembered the specific line in the prophecy.

Mara pursed her lips in thought. "That does not necessarily mean someone is going to die to complete this prophecy," she pointed out.

Luke sighed silently and looked at his father as Anakin turned to speak quietly with Ben who was at his side as the holographic image of Thrawn disappeared. '_Maybe I can ask someone about this prophecy. Maybe it's not the same one and it's completely different. Perhaps you're right and no one will die,'_ he wrote down onto the pad.

"Maybe," Mara admitted.

"Luke, are you all right? You seem to be distracted," Leia said walking over to join Luke with Han at her side.

Luke shrugged. '_I'm just thinking about the battle to come,'_ he wrote onto the pad before showing it to Leia and Han.

"We'll win. With the Alliance and the Chiss helping us, we'll win," Leia said.

'_But what will be the consequences of it?_' The question that was written on the pad caused Leia and Han to go silent as they thought about how best to answer it.

Luke got to his feet before he walked over to join his father and gently wrapped his arms around Anakin's waist. Anakin broke off his conversation with Ben before glancing down at Luke. "What is it, Luke?" he asked worriedly.

Luke gazed up at him. _I'm just worried about the prophecy,_ he said silently through the Force.

Anakin put an arm around his son's shoulders. _Don't worry about it, Luke,_ he said silently through the Force.

_How can I not worry about it?_ Luke cried silently. _The prophecy stated that someone was going to die. I don't want to lose anyone that I've come to care about; Leia, Han, Ben, and especially you. I don't think I can bear it if I lost my father when I just barely found him._

Anakin's eyes grew soft but Luke was startled when he saw sadness in their blue depths. "It's all right, Luke," he said softly. "It's going to be all right. This battle will be won and perhaps it will not happen the way the prophecy states it will happen."

"Anakin's right," Ben said. "No one knows the true extent of a prophecy and few can figure out the true meaning behind one when it is spoken."

Luke looked confused.

Anakin chuckled. "Don't feel to bad, Luke," he said gently. "I never get his explanations either."

Luke smiled slightly. _So what's the plan?_ He asked curiously.

Anakin shook his head. "We were working it out when you interrupted us," he said.

Luke flushed in embarrassment. _Sorry,_ he said silently.

Anakin chuckled. "It is all right, Luke," he replied. "We haven't been able to come up with a good plan anyway. We'll figure it out in due time though."

Luke chuckled silently. _All right, Father,_ he said silently before he walked over to join Mara, Han and Leia while Anakin returned to his interrupted conversation with Ben.

* * *

Tsavong Lah growled angrily in his own language as he paced the bridge of the _Worldship_ the Yuuzhan Vong flagship that would be leading the battle against the Empire. He glanced at Nom Anor. "Are you absolutely serious?" he demanded in the Yuuzhan Vong language.

"Yes, Warmaster," Nom said in reply. "It would appear the Empire managed to get help from the Chiss as they did in the future. But this time they were also able to get help from the Alliance."

"Are you absolutely sure? How do you know this?" Tsavong asked.

"I have my ways, Warmaster. I actually got help from an Imperial that was working onboard Emperor Vader's flagship. He defected to join us after the incident at Aldreaan."

Tsavong growled angrily. "The New Republic nearly defeated us with just the help of the Chiss. If the Empire, the Alliance and the Chiss are teaming up then we will be hard pressed to win this battle. We need to figure out another way to defeat them."

"I don't know of any other way, Tsavong," Nom admitted. "The plan we had was to kill Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa and that is what this entire battle is about. Emperor Vader is protecting Skywalker and Organa so it stands to reason if we can kill Skywalker or Organa, there won't have to be a battle."

"That is precisely why we came to the past, Anor!" Tsavong snarled angrily in reply.

Nom nodded slowly. "We need to come up with a way to get those two so as to stop the battle from occurring," he said.

Tsavong did the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a nod before looking up as Shimmra Jamaane came onto the bridge. "Supreme Overlord," he greeted the leader of the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Warmaster. What have you learned about the enemy?" Shimmra asked.

"The Empire has teamed up with Chiss Empire and the Alliance, Overlord," Nom put in.

Shimmra's blue eyes sacks moved to show his anger. "With those three working together, it will be very hard for us to win this battle. We must kill Organa and Skywalker one way or another."

"Yes but how, Overlord? What are we to do? We cannot very well walk onto the _Executor, _take one or the other and kill them," Nom said.

Shimmra was silent for a long moment. "Perhaps we can," he said. "If we can kidnap at least one of the two children of the Emperor and kill them then that may be enough to change the future in our favor. But which shall we kidnap?"

"Skywalker is the one that recreates the Jedi Order and the Jedi have become a nuisance to our kind," Nom said.

"Yes but Organa is the one that mothered the three Jedi who have given us the most trouble," Tsavong added.

Shimmra was silent for a long moment. "I suppose it will not matter which one we take and kill," he said. "All we have to do is kill one of them and the future will be irrevocably changed."

"But how will we kidnap one of them in order to kill them? Emperor Vader is most likely keeping them within his sight at all times," Nom said.

"I think we will have to call upon the help of your Imperial spy, Anor," Tsavong said as an idea came into his mind. "He will be of much use to us for the battle that is to come."

"I will contact him immediately," Nom said before he turned back to his console and Tsavong looked at Shimmra.

"This may work out after all, Overlord," he said.

Shimmra nodded slowly. "Yes it may," he replied.

* * *

Leia sat beside Mara in the room Vader had been gracious enough to provide them with soon after she joined the Emperor on Alderaan. The flaming red haired girl was silent and Leia frowned before looking at the girl at her side. "What's the matter?" she asked.

"I'm just thinking about the prophecy Luke told me about," Mara explained. "It said that 'the prophecy will be fulfilled with the loss of the one that is chosen' and I can't help but think of something I overheard when I first came to serve the Empire."

"What was that?" Leia asked curiously.

"It's an ancient Jedi prophecy that stated a being who was conceived by the Force itself would come to bring balance to the Force," Mara said. "He was called the Chosen One and the members of the Old Jedi Order believed that Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One."

Leia frowned. "But that means, if what you say is true, that Luke's father is the one…" she broke off unable to say the word. "Luke's going to be devastated," she whispered out loud. She may not like Vader or trust him but the way Vader acted toward Luke was like that of a father toward his son and it warmed Leia's heart toward the Emperor. The fact that the prophecy stated that the prophecy would only be completed if the Chosen One died told Leia that the prophecy will only be fulfilled if Vader died.

And Leia knew Luke wouldn't be able to bear that, especially after losing his aunt and his uncle when Alderaan was destroyed.

Mara nodded once in reply. "He would," she said softly. She looked at Leia. "Luke must not know about this, even after we confirm it."

"How will we confirm it?" Leia asked.

Mara hesitated for a split second. "I'll ask Vader and you ask Obi-Wan and/or Yoda and we'll see if their stories agree with what I heard," she said finally.

Leia nodded once in reply before she got to her feet. "Now?" she asked.

Mara also got to her feet. "May as well," she replied before she walked out of the room and Leia walked out of the room after her.

She made her way over to the room that Vader had given Obi-Wan and Yoda before knocking quietly on the door.

"Come in," Obi-Wan's voice called through the door and Leia pressed the door release button before walking in.

"Hello Princess," Obi-Wan greeted her.

"Brings you here what does?" Yoda asked curiously.

Leia hesitated before blurting out what Mara told her about the prophecy of the Chosen One. "And she seems to think that the prophecy Jaina, Jacen and Anakin brought us means that in order for it to be fulfilled, Vader, I mean Anakin, will have to die," she finished.

Obi-Wan was silent for a long moment before he exchanged a glance with Yoda who sighed and nodded sadly. "Believed this we do as well," Yoda said. "Become one with the Force Anakin must or remain unfulfilled forever the prophecy shall."

"Luke is going to be devastated," Obi-Wan said softly. "He's already formed a deep bond with his father and he loves Anakin so much that it breaks my heart to think of what Anakin's death will do to him."

"We shouldn't tell Luke, right?" Leia asked.

"You cannot tell Luke," Jaina's voice sounded and Leia looked over her shoulder as her future children made their way into the room.

"Jaina's right," younger Anakin said. "If you tell Luke then when the time comes, Luke will give his life to save his father's. If he remains ignorant then there is less of a chance that he'll give his life away for his father."

Jacen nodded slowly. "Luke and Leia are the keys to the future," he said. "And they cannot die no matter what. I hate that we have to all know the truth behind the prophecy and Luke is oblivious but that is the way it has to be."

"No one seems concerned about Leia though," Obi-Wan mused.

Jaina chuckled. "Leia would gladly step aside and allow Anakin to get killed. I know that she may have named our little brother after her father but she doesn't trust him or like him in this time period," she said.

Leia flushed. "That is true," she admitted. "The only reason why I don't want Vader, I mean Anakin, to die is because of what it will do to Luke."

Obi-Wan and Yoda glanced at each other, a knowing gleam in their eyes, but they said nothing.

* * *

"What can I do for you, Jade?" Anakin asked glancing up as the former Emperor's Hand walked into the conference room. "I thought you would be with Luke."

"Luke's spending some time with Han working on the _Falcon_," Mara replied.

"That's good. At least he's doing something to occupy his time," Anakin mused leaning back in his seat before using the Force to pull out a chair. "Take a seat, Jade. I can sense that you want to talk to me about something."

Mara sank into the chair and was silent for a long moment. "Leia and I were thinking about the prophecy Jaina, Jacen and Anakin brought to us. Leia told me about it earlier," she explained when Anakin tossed her a confused look. No one but those who had been there when the prophecy was revealed knew about it.

"Anyway," Mara went on, "I remember the stories I heard about the ancient Jedi Prophecy and the Chosen One and Leia brought up that a line in the prophecy states 'the prophecy shall be fulfilled with the loss of the one that was chosen' and it got me thinking. Is it possible that the only way for the prophecy to be fulfilled and for the future to be righted would be for the Chosen One to die?"

Anakin was silent for a long moment, wondering how such a young girl had managed to figure out the truth behind that specific line in the prophecy.

"I also know that the Chosen One is you, Lord Vader," Mara added.

This caused surprise to glitter in Anakin's eyes. "No one knows that," he protested. "The only people still alive that know I am the Chosen One are Yoda and Obi-Wan."

"I figured it out when I overheard Palpatine saying something about it when I first came into his service," Mara admitted. She hesitated for a split second. "And that means in order for the prophecy to be fulfilled you would have to die."

Anakin sighed. "That is what I figured out as well," he admitted. "I can't see any other alternative to the meaning of the prophecy."

"Luke will be devastated."

Anakin's eyes filled with sadness at the thought of his son's expression when that part of the prophecy came to play. "Yes, I know," he murmured. "But he cannot know about this, Jade. Luke is the key to the future that Jaina, Jacen and Anakin live in. If Luke gives his life to save mine, which I have no doubt he will do if he knew, then the future will be ruined. He cannot know. This is my destiny, this is what fate has decreed for me and I accept it willingly.

Anakin was silent for a moment. "You must promise to not tell Luke about this," he added firmly.

Mara nodded. "I won't, Lord Vader," she said.

"Please, Mara, call me Anakin," Anakin said with a sigh. "If I am going to die then I may as well die with the name that my mother gave me and not the name that that lying creep of a master gave me. No offense intended."

"None taken. I felt that way on some occasions when I was with him," Mara admitted. She stood up. "I think I'll go find Luke, Lor…Anakin."

Anakin nodded before watching as the flaming red haired girl walked out of the conference room. He sighed before turning his gaze to the viewports of the conference room as he contemplated what will happen next.

_When will this final battle take place?_ Anakin wondered silently._ And why do I have this feeling that things are going to come together very soon? Is the Force trying to tell me something? If so, what?_

_

* * *

_

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: I was planning on ending this a different way but then I figured I would try to extend this story past twenty chapters**

**Darth: how many chapters left?**

**Blaze: let's see, we still need this and that and this and this and that and this and that so I would say six, maybe seven.**

**Darth: ah that's cool**

**Blaze: it could be more since I haven't included the Epilogue in the count yet**

**Darth: oh okay**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 19 if I can get 200 reviews on this story. Please you guys, I'm almost there.**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: and?**

**Blaze: ahem (clears throat)**

**Anakin: uh oh (puts on thick headphones)**

**Darth: (also puts on thick headphones)**

**Palpatine: what are you two doing?**

**Blaze: (pulls out megaphone and points it at Palpatine's ear) WARNING: CLIFFHANGER ENDING!**

**Palpatine: ow!**

**Blaze: (laughs) because there is a cliffhanger ending, I will be cruel and evil and withhold the next chapter until I get at the most 215 reviews and 208 reviews at the least. Oh and Mara is fourteen in this story because I found out that she is a year younger than Luke.**

**Chapter Nineteen**

Han glanced over at his friend as Luke knelt down and continued to work on the hyperdrive motivator onboard the _Millennium Falcon_. "Be careful with that, kid, we don't want to burn out the hyperdrive. We are likely to need it during the battle," he said to his friend.

Luke nodded slowly in reply before he frowned as he continued to work on it. He placed the tool back on the ground before leaning back and wiping the sweat from his face as Mara walked onboard the ship.

"Hello Luke," she greeted him.

Luke inclined his head in greeting to the flaming red haired girl before he glanced at Han, an unspoken question in his eyes.

The captain sighed. "Go ahead, Kid, Chewie and I can finish this," he said.

Luke grinned before getting to his feet and hurrying out of the _Falcon_ with Mara just behind him. Luke pulled out his datapad before writing down '_what do we do now?'_ on it before handing it to Mara.

Mara shook her head. "I don't know," she admitted. "Anakin is still trying to work out the plan of attack with Mon Mothma and Grand Admiral Thrawn. They seem no closer to finding a solution."

Luke sighed silently before he shook his head and pointed toward the hallway leading into the hangar bay. Mara nodded and the two of them walked down the hallway. The Noghri that had come back with the Grand Captain Piett were roaming the hallways but they made room for Luke and Mara before going on with their tours.

"Are you really worried about the battle to come?" Mara asked.

Luke nodded. '_Someone's going to die, I know it, but I just don't know who. I really don't want to lose someone, anyone, on this ship that I have grown close to,_' he wrote onto the datapad before showing it to her.

Luke was startled when Mara flinched. "I'm sure that won't happen," she assured him but Luke had the feeling that she didn't believe her own words. She placed a hand on Luke's arm. "Come on, why don't we go find your father?"

Luke smiled before nodding. '_Do you know where he is?'_ he wrote onto the datapad.

"In his conference room," Mara replied. She and Luke led the way down the corridor before coming to a stop outside of a door. "He's most likely in there. Do you want to visit him alone?"

Luke hesitated before nodding slowly and Mara nodded once in reply before she stepped away. "I'll go find Leia," she said and Luke watched as the beautiful fourteen year old girl walked away from the room. He glanced at the door before knocking on the door.

"Come," Anakin's voice called softly.

Luke pressed the door release button before walking into the conference room, narrowing his eyes as he examined the conference room. It was small with a table and chairs surrounding it. Anakin was sitting in one of those chairs, gazing through the viewports.

"What brings you here, Luke? I thought you were helping Solo," Anakin asked turning around in his chair to gaze at his son.

Luke hesitated. _I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with everyone I care about before the battle,_ he said silently through the Force.

"You still think that someone is going to die?"

_I don't think so, I know so, I just don't know who._

Anakin sighed before he gestured for Luke to join him and the fifteen year old boy walked over to join his father. Anakin stood up before gently wrapped his arms around his son, holding him close. Luke leaned into his father in spite of how old he was and rested his head against his father's chest.

_You seem sad,_ he said silently when he sensed the sadness that was coming off of Anakin in thick waves.

Anakin was silent for a long moment. "I am not all that sad," he said softly. "But I suppose I don't want to lose someone either."

Luke gazed up at his father, blue eyes met blue eyes and Luke could see the stark sadness glittering in the depths of his father's eyes. _Do you think we'll win?_ He asked silently.

Anakin held his son close to him. "I can only hope and trust the Force, Luke, that is all I can do. If we lose then I will lose both you and Leia and the future will be destroyed. We must win this battle, one way or another, we must win it," he said softly.

_We won't be alone, Father._

"Yes, I know Son."

_Father, what do you think the prophecy that Jaina, Jacen and Anakin told us means?_ Luke asked silently gazing up at his father. _I want to know the truth. I have this feeling that everyone knows the truth but no one is willing to tell me. I was hoping that you would be able to tell me the truth._

Anakin didn't meet his eyes. "You aren't ready to know," he murmured.

_Please Father._

"The only thing I was able to discover about the future is the certain parts of it. 'What was wrong shall be righteed' and 'the darkness shall be overthrown'. Both of those phrases were referring to Palpatine's death and the return of the Jedi to the galaxy," Anakin said finally.

_But what about the other parts? 'What was silent shall now speak' and 'the prophecy shall be fulfilled with the loss of the one that was chosen.' _Luke asked silently.

Anakin shook his head. "I don't know," he murmured.

Luke gazed at his father with some surprise in his eyes. _You're lying,_ he whispered silently through the Force. _Why won't you tell me the truth? What has you so worried that you can't tell your own son the truth?_

Anakin gazed at him with infinite sadness in his eyes and Luke gazed at his father, tears suddenly appearing in his eyes. _It's you, isn't it? _He asked silently. _You're the one that will have to die if the prophecy is to be fulfilled._

Anakin didn't deny it but he didn't agree with Luke's words either and Luke felt the tears slide down his face.

_That can't happen,_ he cried silently. _I can't lose you, I just can't. I just barely found you._ He buried his face into his father's chest and started to sob silently._ Please tell me it isn't true, please!_

_

* * *

_

Anakin felt as though his heart would break at his son's words. "I cannot, Son," he said softly. "That is the only thing that I can find that will fit the words of the prophecy. I am the Chosen One and the prophecy does state that the prophecy will be fulfilled with the loss of the one that was chosen. It would make sense that it would be me."

_It can't be true, it can't be,_ Luke cried silently before he pushed his father away, tears of fury in his eyes._ You're lying. You're lying! You have to be lying! What you say isn't true? I don't believe you!_

"Luke..."

_You're LYING! _Luke screamed silently through the Force before he turned around and fled from the conference room leaving his father to stare after him in dumbfounded shock.

Anakin watched his son flee before he sank down into his chair and buried his face into his real and mechanical hands. There was a knock on the door followed by a soft "Anakin" and Anakin waved his hand, invoking the power of the Force to open the door.

Obi-Wan walked into the room. "I just saw Luke running down the hallway," he said. "What happened?"

"He somehow figured out the truth but he doesn't believe it," Anakin murmured. "I didn't tell him but when he put the pieces together, I had no choice but to confirm it for him. And in reply, he accused me of lying and fled."

"Do you know if he really believes that you are lying? Or is this just his way of denying the truth?"

"I don't know."

Obi-Wan walked over to Anakin's side and wrapped an arm around his former Padawan's shoulders. "Anakin, are you ready to face your destiny?" he asked softly.

"I…"

"Let me rephrase that question slightly. Honestly, are you ready to leave your family behind?"

Anakin gazed at his former master before he shook his head. "No, I am not. I have just barely found them. Leia and Luke are the only ones I have left of Padmé. I can't bear the thought of never seeing them again. That is one of the reasons why I am willing to die for them because then at least I will know that they are still alive," he whispered tears starting to appear in his eyes and he started to sob. "But I don't know if I have the strength to do this."

Obi-Wan held Anakin in his arms as the younger man sobbed quietly. "Shh, it's okay, Anakin, it's okay. Everyone feels the same way as you do about death," he whispered.

"I'm afraid, Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered gazing up into his father figure's eyes. "I fear death so much."

"Everyone fears death. You must know, however, that death is the only thing that is certain in life. Everyone is going to die eventually, some sooner than others."

"I know but I still fear it. If Luke really believes that I'm lying to him then he will be even more devastated to learn that what I had said was the truth," Anakin whispered.

Obi-Wan straightened slightly. "I will try to talk some sense into him, Anakin," he said softly. "Perhaps I can convince him that you weren't lying."

"But if he believes that I am telling the truth then he will be more inclined to throw himself in front of a stray blaster bolt in order to save my life," Anakin replied softly.

"Yes I know this Anakin," Obi-Wan said.

"Perhaps it would be safer if you did not talk to him."

"It will devastate him if we don't talk to him."

"I will lose him if we do talk to him."

Obi-Wan sighed. "How about this? I'll convince Luke to keep in mind that what you said _could _happen. Would that help?" he asked.

Anakin sighed. "I suppose it would. Thank you, Obi-Wan," he said softly.

Obi-Wan nodded before he hugged his former Padawan again and stood up. "You are most welcome, Anakin," he replied before he walked out of the conference room.

* * *

"Leia," Han called as he walked out of the _Falcon_ to find the Alderaanian Princess speaking with Mon Mothma nearby. Leia glanced up at him before narrowing her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"Whoa, what's with the snippy tone, your Worshipfullness? I just wanted to ask if you knew where Luke was," Han protested.

Leia shrugged. "Mara said he was speaking with his father," she replied.

"Ah well, I'd best go find him. I wanna ask him to help me install the new flux cables," Han said and Leia watched as the captain jogged down the corridors to go find Luke.

The Princess sighed before turning her gaze to Mon Mothma. "So what exactly do we have planned?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing much. Emperor Vader is still trying his hardest to come up with a plan but everything he tries keeps getting shut down by Jaina, Jacen and Anakin," Mon Mothma replied.

"Jaina, Jacen and Anakin know the Yuuzhan Vong better than we do," Leia reminded her.

"That is true," Mon Mothma admitted. "But if they know the Yuuzhan Vong better than we do then why aren't they offering any suggestions?"

"Perhaps they are but they have not had time to give those suggestions to us," Leia suggested.

"Mon Mothma," a loud shout sounded and Leia glanced up as Admiral Ozzel of the _Executor_ jogged over to join them. Ozzel was still distrustful at the thought of having the leader of the Rebel Alliance onboard his commander's ship but he kept his distrust well hidden.

"What?" Mon Mothma asked.

"His Majesty wishes to speak with you."

Mon Mothma sighed. "Well, I guess we'd better go see…" she began.

"He requested to see you alone," Ozzel added.

Leia smiled faintly. "I'll go find Mara," she said.

Mon Mothma nodded before she walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corridor. Leia turned her gaze back to Ozzel who was eyeing her with narrowed eyes.

"Excuse me," she said politely.

Ozzel suddenly pulled out a blaster. "You aren't going anywhere, your Highness," he sneered and that was the last thing Leia knew as a stun bolt slammed into her chest and sent her flying to the ground.

* * *

Obi-Wan found Luke sitting cross legged on the bridge of the _Executor, _his blue eyes fixed on the starry sky in front of him and his eyes were halfway closed. "Luke?" He called softly.

Luke glanced up at him before he gestured with his hand for Obi-Wan to join him and turned his gaze back to the starry sky. Obi-Wan walked over to join Luke and sat down beside him, crossing his legs.

Luke reached for his datapad but Obi-Wan stretched out a hand to stop him. "You know you can speak to me through the Force. It's pointless to use the datapad when you around users of the Force," he pointed out.

Luke nodded slowly. _I've been thinking about Father's words, Ben,_ he said silently. _I just can't believe them._

"Do you honestly think your father is lying to you? Or do you just wish to believe that what your father said is not true?"

Luke pursed his lips together in thought. _I suppose I don't know,_ he admitted through the Force.

Obi-Wan smiled slightly. "What about this, Luke? Do you think you can accept that what your father told you _may_ come to past?" he asked.

Luke hesitated. _I suppose so,_ he said silently though Obi-Wan could tell that he didn't believe his own words.

"Luke, there is no telling what will happen in the future. Master Yoda is fond of this saying: _always in motion the future is._ Whatever the prophecy says, there is a chance that none of it will come to past just as there is a chance only part of it will come to past and there's a chance all of it will come to past."

_Palpatine was overthrown. That fulfilled two parts of the prophecy already,_ Luke pointed out silently.

"And perhaps those are the only two parts of the prophecy that will come to past," Obi-Wan suggested.

_Perhaps._

"Anakin is merely preparing for what _may _or _may not_ occur in the future, Luke. You must believe this."

Luke sighed. _I do,_ he said silently. _I suppose I do._

Obi-Wan smiled when he sensed the sincerity behind Luke's words. He glanced up sharply as the Captain Piett of the _Executor_ glanced up sharply and barked a series of orders into a comlink. "What's going on?" Obi-Wan called.

The Captain Piett didn't seem to care that it had been a Jedi that had asked him a question. "A ship has just left hangar bay 3 and jumped to hyperspace. We managed to discover who was behind the controls of the ship and we have also learned that they have flown to the planet Bellassa."

Obi-Wan quickly got to his feet. "We'd better go tell Anakin about this," he said to Luke who nodded in agreement and the two of them hurried off the bridge of the _Executor,_ ignoring the shocked glances that the Captain Piett was tossing them.

"What is happening?" Han asked his eyes wide with shock when everyone gathered in Anakin's conference room a little while later.

"The final battle is quickly approach," younger Anakin gasped.

"The catalyst of the final battle has been realized…" Jacen said

"…And the prophecy reaches it's fulfillment days," Jaina finished for her twin brother.

"What exactly is going on?" Mara asked and Obi-Wan couldn't help but silently agree with Mara's question.

Elder Anakin, who was standing beside Mon Mothma, lifted up grief-filled eyes and Obi-Wan gasped quietly. He had a feeling he knew exactly what Anakin was going to say right before he said it.

"Leia's been kidnapped," Anakin said softly.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: I freely admit it. I am cruel by withholding chapter 20 until I get 208 to 215 reviews**

**Darth: HOW CAN YOU BE SO CRUEL?**

**Blaze: well for one, I don't know how long it will take for me to type up the next chapter and for another, I just want a little bit of motivation**

**Darth: you already have so many reviews**

**Blaze: yeah, I know.**

**Tigerstar: you**_** will**_** post **_**the **_**next **_**chapter**_** now!**

**Blaze: you **_**will**_** practice **_**your **_**Jedi**_** mind **_**trick!**

**Darth: (laughs)**

**Tigerstar: (scowls)**

**Blaze: please review and once again, I am cruel and I admit it. Terribly sorry if I lose reviewers because of this but I hope that you love this story enough to stick with it until the end. There are, I would say, maybe five chapters left or maybe more, I'm not sure yet.**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: it's after Midnight**

**Blaze: well, I can't sleep so I may as well continue typing**

**Darth: okay then**

**Blaze: here is chapter 20 and I hope that you like it and thank you to everyone who reviewed my story and stuck with me this far.**

**Chapter Twenty**

Leia groaned before blinking open her eyes. She found herself in a dank dark cell with no light. The silence in the cell was unnerving and Leia shivered before wrapping her arms around her body. Memories came back into her mind and she shuddered when she remembered how Anakin's admiral, Ozzel, had stunned her and that was the last thing she remembered.

She hardly knew Ozzel and yet the Admiral had stunned her and taken her Force knew where. Leia had a pretty good idea but she wasn't ready to admit it, not yet. She closed her eyes before taking a deep breath to calm herself down. She stood up before gazing at the tiny window in the room and gazed out of it. The blanket of star speckled blackness outside suggested that she was in the middle of space but she wasn't entirely sure as to where she was in space.

_So where am I?_ Leia wondered silently.

She gazed around the cell but she found that she was all alone and she found herself missing the comforts of the _Executor_. At least there, she knew the people that were around her, even if she didn't like half the people there. She wondered if Luke and Anakin and the others knew that she was missing yet.

_They most likely do since Anakin and Luke and Obi-Wan and Yoda both have the use of the Force, _Leia mused silently.

During the time she had spent on the _Executor,_ Leia had become good friends with Luke and had formed a grudging respect for Obi-Wan and Yoda. As time went on, Leia found that she was even starting to like Han Solo and his furry Wookiee companion Chewbacca as friends. She wondered if they were going to try to find her and, perhaps, rescue her.

She sighed._ It would be easier if they knew where I was,_ she thought.

She sat back down on the stone bed before leaning against the cold wall that lay behind her. The cell door opened and a plate was placed on the ground before the door slammed close again.

_Well, at least they're not going to starve me to death,_ Leia thought. _But who are they anyway?_

She picked up the plate and the glass of water before examining it and taking a small sip of the water. It tasted a bit metallic but it wasn't that bad, the food was nothing more than bread and cheese but at least it was food. As she ate, she began to wonder why Ozzel had taken her here and who exactly was keeping her prisoner here.

Voices came to her from the outside and Leia frowned before placing her plate on the ground and moving close to the door. She pressed her ear against the door and heard Ozzel's familiar voice through the wall.

"…Did what you told me to do. Are you going to keep your promise to me?" Ozzel asked.

"Of course we will," a smooth cool deeply accented voice sneered and then there was a shrill scream of pain. "You will not die right away, Captain, and not in the way Organa shall die."

"You…You cut off my arm!" Ozzel shouted in pain.

"Get out of my sight, Captain," the voice sneered again. "Before I take the other arm."

There was the sound of feet slamming against the ground before a new voice sounded. "When are we going to start torturing Organa?" the voice said.

"All in good time, Tsavong, all in good time," the first voice said.

"Shimmra, it will not be long before Emperor Vader discovers his daughter is missing. If we want to permanently change the future then we are going to have to kill Organa and get it over with."

"Emperor Vader does not know where Organa is and neither do those dreaded Solo siblings," the one called Shimmra replied with a sneer.

Leia recognized those names, she heard Anakin speaking about them and Jacen mention them as well. Tsavong Lah and Shimmra Jamaane, Warmaster and Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong.

Leia rested her head against the stone wall as shock and dread surged through her. She now knew that she was in the grip of the dreaded Yuuzhan Vong with no way to contact her friends, allies, and Anakin, before it was too late.

* * *

"The ship was last seen entering hyperspace and heading toward Bellassa," Captain Piett said sounding confused. "The ship should be here. We followed it only about ten minutes after it fled into hyperspace, it should still be here."

"Apparently it is not," elder Anakin snapped angrily as he paced on the bridge. "He must have jumped to hyperspace the instant he arrived above Bellassa but where could he have gone?"

"Calm down, Anakin," Ben said softly.

"Calm down? _Calm down?_ How can you tell me to calm down when my daughter is _out there, __alone_ and _in the grip of the Yuuzhan Vong!_" Anakin all but screamed in rage.

Luke gazed at his father with fear in his eyes as his father continued to pace, his eyes were flickering between yellow and blue and his face was twisted into an enraged snarl. _Getting angry is not going to help Leia, Father,_ he said silently through the Force.

"What will then?" elder Anakin demanded glancing briefly at his son before he continued to pace.

"Leia's Force sensitive," Jaina pointed out from where she was sitting beside her siblings.

"She may have had no training in this time period but she is still Force sensitive," young Anakin added.

"There is a chance, however slim, that one of us may be able to contact her through the Force," Jacen finished for his siblings.

"Not over a great distance and certainly not through hyperspace," elder Anakin protested. "Even Obi-Wan and I were unable to do that during our training years together and I doubt Yoda was able to do that either."

"Takes supreme concentration, no distraction and a strong bond it does but not impossible it is," Yoda said softly. "Do it we can but find someone who has a strong bond with Leia the hardest thing to do it is."

"Who can have a strong bond with Leia when none of us know Leia more than a few days," Han protested.

"Han's right," Mara added. "We don't know Leia well enough to have established a strong bond with her."

"That's true," elder Anakin muttered. "I'm her father and yet I know her less than you do."

"What about Luke?" Jacen asked.

Luke glanced up at the sound of his name and a confused look glittered in his eyes.

"How can Luke have a strong bond with Leia when he knows her about as much as we do?" Mara protested.

"Because Luke is Leia's twin, their bond has always been strong from the moment they were born," Obi-Wan said softly. "It was because of that bond that we had to separate the twins. Palpatine would have sensed that bond immediately and it may be that Luke's bond with his twin sister will be enough for him to get in touch with her."

"I'll try anything to find my daughter," elder Anakin said firmly.

"Needs a quiet place to work Skywalker does," Yoda said. "No distractions, no extra noise, nothing."

"My chambers then," elder Anakin said after a moment's thought. "I always go in there to meditate and everyone onboard the _Executor_ knows better than to cause any kind of racket near my chambers when I'm meditating."

Luke glanced at his father. _But what if I can't find out where Leia is located by contacting her through the Force? _He asked silently.

"There is a way to pinpoint someone's location through the Force without that someone knowing where he or she is," Jaina said. "The Force does work in mysterious ways and the Force may very well show Luke where his sister is located."

"Jaina's right," younger Anakin said. "I mean, it is either try this or travel from one end of the galaxy to the other looking for the Yuuzhan Vong and that is nearly impossible because of the Yuuzhan Vong's lack of a Force presence."

"Didn't you say that you can sense their ships?"

Jaina narrowed her eyes. "Their ships are organic so it would make sense that we could sense the ships even if we can't sense them," she admitted.

"All right, here's the plan," elder Anakin said coming to a stop in his pacing. "Luke will go to my meditation chambers and try to contact Leia through the Force. Jaina, Jacen and younger Anakin will go to another quiet part on the _Executor _and try to sense the Yuuzhan Vong's ships. While you four do that, Obi-Wan and I will begin making preparations for the final battle and the raid to rescue Leia wherever she is being held."

Luke glanced at his father. _Will I be able to help you?_ He asked silently. _I want to help my sister._ His hand went to the lightsaber that Anakin noticed he had started to carry around on his hip again. He didn't remember the last time he had seen Luke with his own lightsaber but he felt better knowing that Luke had something to protect himself with.

_Perhaps, Luke, perhaps,_ Anakin replied silently.

"Come on, Uncle Luke, we may as well get started," Jaina said. "I think I would feel much better if Leia is back with us."

"So would I," elder Anakin murmured.

Luke gazed at his father. _Will you come with me?_ He asked silently.

_I'll come with you as far as the meditation room but you need to have no distractions if you are to do this,_ he replied silently. He gently placed a hand on his son's shoulder and guided Luke off of the bridge and toward his meditation room.

* * *

"Will Leia be all right?" Mara asked worriedly. "I was starting to like her during the time we spent together."

Jaina glanced at Mara. "If we are not quick then I fear the worst," she said softly.

"We've told you before that the Yuuzhan Vong, if that is indeed who kidnapped Leia though it most likely is, likes to torture their prisoners to death," Jacen added.

"We will have to be quick," younger Anakin said. "Tsavong will do what he can to make Leia's stay as uncomfortable and painful as possible until he finally kills her."

"That ain't going too well with me," Han growled.

"Are you starting to care for your future wife, Dad?" Jacen asked raising an eyebrow and chuckling as Han blushed and began to stutter out as many excuses as he could think of.

"Quit teasing our future father, Jacen, we have more important matters to attend to," Jaina said. "Come on, you two, let's go see if we can sense the Yuuzhan Vong's ships."

Jacen and younger Anakin nodded before following Jaina as she led the way off of the bridge.

"So what do we do know?" Mara asked.

"I suppose the only thing we can do is train. We will likely have to fight the Yuuzhan Vong after all," said Obi-Wan. He glanced at Yoda. "We'll teach you what we can for right now."

"I think the best that would be," Yoda agreed. He glanced at Han. "Defend yourself can you?"

"Yeah, I can and so can Chewie here," Han said firmly.

"Very well then teach the others while we are waiting we shall," Yoda said firmly.

"And hopefully it will be enough to win this battle," Obi-Wan said quietly and Mara couldn't help but agree with the old Jedi Master.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was a very short chapter**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yeah**

**Darth: what's gonna happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Luke's going to find out where Leia is, Anakin is going to have a vision, and Leia's torture will began**

**Darth: if that -censored- comes anywhere near Leia (pulls out nuclear tipped lightsaber)**

**Shimmra and Tsavong: (gulps and runs away)**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I'll post the next chapter as soon as I possibly can.**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: yeah**

**Palpatine: Anakin's going to die, Anakin's going to die, ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE!**

**Blaze: (begins crying)**

**Anakin: (stabs Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: ow!**

**Blaze: (laughs) here is the long awaited twenty-one and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated. Also Leia's torture is not likely to be very graphic as it will likely be only mentioned since I really don't want to go into that. Also, I'm pretty sure I mentioned this in an earlier chapter so I'm sorry if I repeated myself but the **_**Executor**_** was completed early in this story and this is AU so let's just say the New Republic and the Chiss were able to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong even though I'm sure that's not how it happened in canon.**

**Blaze: also I changed this chapter a bit and it's not what I said was going to be in this chapter in the last chapter.**

**Chapter Twenty-One**

Luke closed his eyes before stretching out with his meager training in the Force but he couldn't find his sister's Force presence anywhere. He knew that he should be able to sense it since Leia was his sister but he didn't know how and he felt suddenly afraid. He stretched out with the Force again but his worry seemed to be clouding his senses.

_Luke, don't think about anything. Merely concentrate on finding your sister,_ Anakin's voice sounded quietly in Luke's mind. _Clear your mind of everything._

_But how? I'm so worried about her and about you and about everyone. I can't stop thinking about the prophecy as well, _Luke protested silently.

_Forget about the Prophecy, Luke and focus on your sister. Clear your mind and do not think about anything else, _Anakin murmured soothingly in Luke's mind.

Luke nodded though he knew his father couldn't' see him and so he stretched out with the Force again and slowly reached for his sister's Force presence. He suddenly found himself sensing a brilliant Force presence. It was far away and yet it was close enough for Luke to determine that it was indeed his sister's presence. The Force presence closely resembled Luke's only but with a feminine touch that named it Leia's.

Luke smiled to himself before he stretched out toward Leia, hoping beyond a doubt that he'll be able to contact his sister and determine where she was located. _Leia?_ He called silently.

_Luke? _Leia's voice whispered back in surprise. Leia clearly didn't expect to be contacted via the Force from Luke who was barely learning how to control his Force abilities let alone use them.

_Yes, Leia, where are you? Do you know?_ Luke asked silently and mentally crossed his fingers as he waited for his sister to reply to his question.

It took Leia a long time to answer. _No, we're in the middle of space somewhere but I know that the Yuuzhan Vong have me, they killed Ozzel, the man who kidnapped me, earlier. Ozzel thought he had gotten away with only losing his arm but Shimmra decided Ozzel outlived his usefulness and killed him,_ Leia said silently.

Luke bit his lip. _I hope he doesn't decide to do that to you,_ he whispered silently through the Force.

_I hope not though Tsavong has been hinting that he wants to torture me to death,_ Leia said softly.

Luke shuddered feeling tears well up in his eyes._ We'll find you, Leia, I promise you we will. We will not let you die, I'll make sure of that personally, _he promised silently.

_Thanks, Luke, you're a great friend but don't go risking your own life to save mine,_ Leia said softly before the connection was roughly disconnected and Luke's eyes went wide with surprise.

_Leia? Leia!_ He cried silently through the Force but the only reply that came was a twinge of pain that tossed Luke out of his meditation roughly.

_Leia! _Luke thought clutching his head as he continued to feel his sister's pain stream through the Force like the water in a river. _Oh Leia! Please be all right, Leia. I can't lose you, sister!_

* * *

Han was sent to go find Luke after an hour had passed since Anakin had escorted his son into his meditation chambers and he could hear his friend sobbing in the chambers. Pressing the door release button, Han spotted Luke kneeling down with his head resting on his hands and sobbing quietly.

"Kid, hey Kid, what's the matter?" Han called hurrying to Luke's side and kneeling down beside him.

Luke lifted a tear-streaked face to look at the captain of the _Millennium Falcon _before he wrote quickly on the datapad and showed it to Han. It read. '_For some reason, I can feel her pain. It's not like I'm actually feeling what's happening to her but I can still sense it through the Force and it's happening constantly._'

Han swore under his breath. "Come on, Kid, let's get you back to your father and the old man. They'll probably be able to explain what happened better," he said gently helping Luke to his feet and Luke leaned against Han before following the captain as he led the way toward the bridge of the _Executor_.

Anakin glanced up from where he was sitting with Mon Mothma and the holographic images of Captain Pellaeon of the _Chimaera_ and Grand Admiral Thrawn onboard the _Avenger_. The Chiss fleet was gathered behind the _Avenger_ while the Rebel Alliance's fledgling fleet was gathered behind the command ship and the Imperial Starfleet was also gathered. They were currently still above the planet Bellassa and the entire combined fleets seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. The Rebel Alliance was still small but the Chiss fleet and the Imperial Starfleet more than compensated for the lack of Alliance ships.

"Did you find her?" Anakin asked walking over to join his son with Mon Mothma just behind him and the two holographic images listening and looking on.

Luke shook his head and, noticing Anakin's crestfallen look, he added something silently most likely through the Force.

"The kid said that he felt Leia's pain and said that the torture's begun," Han added though he couldn't hear anything the mute boy had said.

"Where are Jacen, Jaina and Anakin?" Mon Mothma asked. "You said they would be here." She had found it rather interesting that three people from the future, Leia's children, were actually located in the past and she believed it while Han was still having a hard time trying to force himself to believe it since it was obvious it was true.

"They are still trying to locate the Yuuzhan Vong's ships," Obi-Wan said.

"Find them they will. Know what to look for, the Solo siblings do," Yoda added. Han noticed the two of them were sitting cross-legged side by side on one of the unused consoles on the bridge.

"Are you sure about that?" Mara asked curiously. "Palpatine never taught me anything about sensing the presence of a ship, even if that ship is organic."

"Teach you everything Palpatine did not, young Mara," Yoda said calmly. "Taught you only the dark side of the Force he did but not the light side. A light side gift sensing organic items is but used before in my lifetime it has not."

"Until now."

"Yes until now."

Jacen walked into the bridge of the _Executor _at that moment with Jaina and younger Anakin just behind him. All three Solo siblings looked exhausted but with a satisfied expression in their eyes as they sank into three unoccupied seats in one of the crew pits of the bridge.

"Did you find their ships?" elder Anakin asked almost immediately.

"Barely," Jacen said with a sigh. "They are located above a planet covered with forests and snow-capped mountains."

"We did some research before we came here," Jaina added. "That's why we took so long to finish and get back here."

"The planet we sensed they were located above closely resembles a planet known as Galidraan in the Outer Rim," younger Anakin added.

"Galidraan is a bit out of the way, even for the Yuuzhan Vong who came to Bellassa first," Obi-Wan mused.

"Trying to confuse us by coming here they were," Yoda said. "Want us to find them they do not. Kill Leia they will in order to destroy the future. Want anyone to interrupt they do not."

Anakin's eyes hardened. "How long do you suppose we have?" he asked turning to look at Jaina.

Jacen was the one that replied, however, after a moment's thought. "We won't have that much time. Since Leia is very high ranking in the future, they'll torture her off and on for a few days. I would say we have four days at the most to find her before it's too late."

"Captain Piett, how long will it take us to reach Galidraan?" Anakin demanded glancing at the captain of the _Executor_.

"Three days time, my Lord," Piett replied after quickly looking it up on a nearby datacomputer.

"It will do us no good if we go barging in there all at once," Thrawn said smoothly through the holographic image. "If we come barging it all at once then the Yuuzhan Vong are more likely to kill Leia before we can rescue her."

Anakin's pressed his lips together in thought. "If a small rescue team goes ahead of the group then we may be able to get to Leia before the main battle starts. The best thing we can do right now is get Leia away from the Yuuzhan Vong and then we can let our combined forces deal with the Vong."

"The Yuuzhan Vong aren't stupid, they'll be expecting that," Jacen said. "We will have to be very careful if we are to rescue Leia before the main battle begins."

"Wouldn't be a good idea to start rescuing Leia and then officially rescue her after the final battle already starts?" Jaina asked.

"Jaina's right. I do not think the Yuuzhan Vong will be expecting you to wait to rescue your daughter, Anakin, until the battle actually begins," younger Anakin added. "If we launch a preempt attack, rescue your daughter and then launch the main attack then they won't know what to do."

"Anakin's right," Jaina agreed.

"Who will lead the preempt attack?" Mara asked curiously.

Anakin pursed his lips in thought before he turned to look at the holographic image of Thrawn and Pellaeon. "I would say you two," he started to say.

"No," Jaina said. "The Yuuzhan Vong will know Pellaeon, he was like a thorn in their side during the war in our time period and I am pretty sure they know about Thrawn. We need someone that the Yuuzhan Vong would least expect."

"Who would that be?" Obi-Wan asked.

Jacen pursed his lips in thought.

Chewbacca barked out a question and Han glanced at him. "Chewie suggested that we ask the wookiees in the slave colony where I found him to help. We freed those wookiees and I'm sure they will not mind helping to rid the galaxy of these Vong creeps."

Chewbacca barked an affirmative to let everyone know that Han had translated correctly and Han smiled.

"Han and Chewbacca can lead the preempt attack," Obi-Wan said finally after a moment's thought.

Younger Anakin shook his head. "The Yuuzhan Vong know Han but not very much and it will make more sense if it's a combined leadership. Mara and Han should team up and lead the wookiees in the preempt attack," he said.

"Work that would," Yoda said.

"Captain Pellaeon and I will lead the main attack," Thrawn said.

"Help you two I will," Yoda agreed.

Pellaeon narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you can help us?" he asked.

"Master Yoda was the one behind many of the battle strategies during the Clone Wars," Obi-Wan pointed out.

Anakin raised an eyebrow.

"Well it was true. You were only good at getting into reckless situations that I had to rescue you from."

Anakin's eyebrows rose more. "Excuse me?" He echoed. "I think in your old age, you've forgotten some things. _I_ was the one that was _always_ rescuing _you_!"

"Dream on."

"I'm not…oh never mind," Anakin growled glaring at Obi-Wan who merely chuckled in reply.

"All right so does that mean everyone else will make up the rescuing party?" Obi-Wan asked turning serious again.

Jacen pursed his lips in thought. "We will have to split up the rescue party," he said finally. "If we can destroy the world brain on the Worldship then we can cripple the Yuuzhan Vong's fleet. Not only that but Shimmra and Tsavong will likely go to the world brain to protect it. If we can take out the world brain and the Warmaster and Supreme Overlord of the Yuuzhan Vong then the rest of the Vong will crumble."

"Who will go after the brain and who will go after Leia?" Anakin asked.

Luke glanced at elder Anakin and the Emperor glanced at the mute boy before he shook his head firmly. "No, Luke, it is much too dangerous," he said firmly. "I say Jacen leads the assault on the world brain since he knows about it and Jaina and Anakin can lead the rescue attempt on Leia."

"I will go with Anakin and Jaina," Obi-Wan said.

"And I'll go with Jacen," the Emperor said.

Luke glared at elder Anakin who again shook his head. "No, Luke, you cannot come with me," he said.

Luke glowered angrily at Anakin and Han figured he was saying something more forcefully but Anakin once again shook his head stubbornly. The two of them glared at each other and Han sighed. "Uh oh," he said. "Two stubborn Skywalkers."

"You're telling me and I only trained one of them and he was always getting me into trouble," Obi-Wan said.

"Hey!" Anakin protested breaking off his glaring match with Luke to glare at Obi-Wan.

"Well don't you remember jumping out of a speeder and forcing me to look for you."

"Well I'm not the one that jumped through a glass window to catch the assassin droid."

"How about that time you got me stuck in the shaft?"

"I'm the one that got you stuck in the shaft? I'm not the one that fell into the shaft."

"Enough reminiscing, we've got a big problem to deal with right now!" Han protested angrily.

Luke glared at Anakin and Anakin scowled. "I'm _not_ taking you with me!" he snapped. Luke said something silently and Anakin scowled again.

"Don't 'but dad' me, you're not going."

Luke said something else silently.

"Yoda wouldn't take you."

Luke added something else silently.

"I highly doubt that. You're not going, Luke!"

Luke retorted silently.

Obi-Wan glanced at Luke. "Enough already, you'll go with Jaina, younger Anakin and I," he said finally.

Anakin smirked. "Good look keeping an eye on another Skywalker, Master," he said.

Obi-Wan snorted. "I didn't do a bad job with you except when you decided to go skydiving out of a speeder," he said.

"Look who's talking!"

* * *

Anakin watched as Chewbacca spoke with the Wookiee colony that he and Han had freed earlier and he noticed that Mara was speaking with Han as if trying to figure out what to do now that she had been given co-command of the Wookiee force that may or may not join them.

"I don't know how to command a group of wookiees," Mara was saying when Anakin tuned into the conversation.

"Don't worry, Chewie and I'll have your back," Han assured her.

Mara sighed. "So what exactly is the plan, Anakin?" she asked turning her green gaze to Anakin.

Anakin pursed his lips in thought. "How big do you suppose the Yuuzhan Vong fleet is?" He asked Jaina who was standing beside him.

"Usually several thousand ships per wave during the invasion," Jaina said. "But only a quarter went through the wormhole to come into the past so about three to five hundred ships."

Anakin nodded.

"We'll need to separate the fleet," Obi-Wan said. "The Wookies, if Chewbacca gets them to agree, will distract at least a third of the fleet while the rest of us attack the rest of the fleet."

"Work that would," Yoda said. "Lead a third of the fleet to the other side of the planet the wookies will and attack with the main fleet you will once a third of the fleet is gone."

"That would work actually," Thrawn said calmly his holographic image flickering slightly. "Pellaeon and I, along with Yoda, will be even with, or perhaps have more ships than, the Yuuzhan Vong with a third of them concentrating on the Wookiees."

"We will have to use a small shuttle to get past the defenses and land on the Worldship," Jacen said. "I know where the world brain is so I should be able to find it and Luke should be able to sense where Leia is being kept."

"Should we take more ships?" Obi-Wan asked.

Jaina shook her head. "No," she replied. "We need to keep this as inconspicuous as possible. It is likely that the Yuuzhan Vong know we are helping you so they may be suspicious."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Whether they are suspicious or not, we must follow through with our plans. I will not leave my daughter in the grasp of the Yuuzhan Vong longer than I have to," he said firmly.

_Please, father, let me go with you,_ Luke cried silently through the Force at that moment.

_No, Luke. Go with Obi-Wan, Jaina and younger Anakin, I will take care of the world brain with Jacen._

_But what about the prophecy?_

_I thought you didn't believe me._

_Obi-Wan said that what you said could come true and I don't want it to happen._

Anakin wrapped his arms around his son and drew him close, holding him as Luke hugged him back before gazing up at him with pleading blue eyes. Anakin shook his head before he gently kissed Luke on the forehead. _I'm sorry Luke but this is something I have to do,_ he said softly through the Force before he released his son and glanced at Chewbacca as the wookiee glanced at him.

"Well?" he asked.

Chewbacca growled an affirmative.

Anakin sighed with relief before he glanced back at the gathered people, friends, family, and allies alike gathered together for a common goal: the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Is everyone ready?" Anakin asked.

Everyone nodded once in agreement.

"Then let's get ready to go."

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 21 that everyone has been waiting on**

**Darth: YAY!**

**Blaze: the next chapter will come out in a few weeks or so, I suppose it depends on how long it takes for me to type it up**

**Darth: so…what's going to happen in the next chapter?**

**Blaze: Leia's thoughts after another torture session, Luke trying again to convince Anakin to let him come with him, Anakin's vision (finally) and some Luke/Mara fluff**

**Darth: that's awesome**

**Blaze: well, I'm off to listen to **_**The Catalyst**_

**Darth: you love that song, don't you?**

**Blaze: as much as I love **_**Iridescent**_

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 22 whenever I get the chance and I doubt it will be anytime soon and thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story so far.**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Blaze: new chapter**

**Darth: it's about time**

**Blaze: can you blame me? I'm getting much closer to the chapter that's going to be REALLY hard for me to type so of course I'm procrastinating**

**Darth: I thought you found like seven loopholes to that part of the prophecy**

**Blaze: true, true. If anyone can figure out what kind of loopholes I'm thinking of, feel free to put them in your reviews**

**Darth: yup**

**Blaze: so here is chapter 22 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated and a reminder, this story takes place three years before the events of ANH.**

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

Leia closed her eyes as she sighed and rested her head on the stone wall of the smaller cell she had been placed in. Ever since her torture at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong had begun, she had been feeling extremely exhausted and she felt full of pain. The Yuuzhan Vong weren't being nice to her and they always used what they called Embrace of Pain, an organic way of torturing and Leia, who's never been tortured before, couldn't stand the pain.

The Yuuzhan Vong asked her a few questions during the torture sessions but Leia refused to give up anything that would jeopardize the Alliance, the man that was her father and everyone else from succeeding in their fight against the Vong. The Vong would be sent back to their own time period and they would not harm anyone else ever again and Leia will make sure that happens without revealing anything that the Yuuzhan Vong's opposition are planning against them.

She sort of felt bad for Ozzel who had died soon after getting his arm cut off but she figured that if the Yuuzhan Vong were willing to destroy an entire planet and then destroy the battle station that destroyed the planet, killing millions of people in the process, then they were bound to do anything to achieve their goal.

And Leia knew that their ultimate goal was ultimate domination of the galaxy.

Leia grimaced as she lied down on the cold stone bed that the Yuuzhan Vong had given her. She knew that she should be glad the Vong wanted her fully well before each torture so they feed her, even if it was very little, and they gave her water. Leia still felt horrible, however, and the bloody scars on her body was just one example of that. She hasn't had a bath in a day and the Yuuzhan Vong barely allowed her to leave the cell to visit a refresher.

Leia closed her eyes before turning onto her side, still thinking about the torture and about the silent communication she had with her twin brother Luke. She didn't realize that he could speak to her but she figured it was because he was Force sensitive but did that mean she was Force sensitive as well? Leia found herself wondering if it was true. It seemed likely as her father was Anakin Skywalker. Though Leia hardly ever heard tales about Anakin during the time she spent with Bail Organa on Alderaan, she did hear a few stories after she met Mon Mothma and others during the time she spent on Coruscant though those stories were kept hushed as the Emperor refused to allow anyone to speak of the Jedi. Leia figured that if she was Force sensitive, as her father and brother were, then she should be able to contact her brother and, perhaps, her father as well through the Force.

Leia, however, didn't have the slightest clue as to where to start and she figured she may as well try to clear her mind. She knew that if she had too many thoughts than she wouldn't be able to get a clear thought to her brother or father. Leia was barely coming to terms with the truth that Anakin Skywalker, formerly Darth Vader, was her father but she knew that it was true; it was as if a part of her always knew even before Anakin revealed to her that he was her father.

Leia shook that thought from her mind before she reached out with her meager training in the Force. She frowned. _How am I supposed to find Luke's Force presence or even Anakin's?_ She wondered silently.

She gazed through the Force and spotted a brilliant Force presence before she gingerly reached out and touched it. The Force presence became familiar and Leia smiled when she realized she had found her brother's Force signature. _Luke?_ She called silently.

There was a jolt of surprise through the Force from Luke's side and he gingerly reached back. _Leia? Leia, is that you?_ He asked sounding surprised.

_Yes, it's me. I don't know how I did this but I did. How are you?_ Leia asked silently.

_Father is stubborn,_ Luke replied. _He won't let me go with him when he and Jacen go after the two leaders of the Yuuzhan Vong but I don't want him to go alone, I can't get that prophecy out of my mind._

Leia winced. She realized instantly that Luke knew the truth behind the prophecy, and more importantly a certain line in the prophecy. _I'm sorry, Luke,_ she said softly.

Shock came back throug the Force._ You knew?_ Luke said through the Force extremely shocked. _You knew the truth and you didn't tell me? How could you? My father might _die_ in this upcoming battle and _you didn't bother to tell me!

_I'm sorry, Luke, but it was for your own good,_ Leia pleaded silently. _We didn't want it to worry you because we could all see how much you loved your father._

_I can't believe you would lie to me, _Luke said angrily. _I can't believe that my own sister would lie to me. Don't you care that your father might die? Oh who am I kidding? I know that you don't care about my father. You don't care if he lives or if he dies! I might lose my father in this battle and _you don't care!

_Luke, I…_

But Luke had cut the silent communications and Leia was left alone in the silence of her cell.

* * *

Luke, upset with the fact that everyone knew the truth behind that certain part in the prophecy, walked down the hallways of the _Executor_, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the techs and sergeants on the Super Star Destroyer. He couldn't believe that everyone knew about the truth of the prophecy and yet they didn't tell him. His father had been the only one who had actually been honest with him and yet that was only when Luke found out the truth for himself.

His father was the only one, however, that Luke felt he could trust at this moment. He gazed around before he pulled out his datapad and wrote a quick question on it before walking up to a sergeant. The sergeant, already knowing that Luke was the son of the Emperor, glanced at him before saluting.

Luke handed him the datapad and the sergeant took it before reading the question and nodding as he handed the datapad back. "Lord Vader's in the conference room speaking with the two Jedi," the sergeant said.

Luke wrote a 'thank you' on the pad before showing it to the sergeant and jogging toward the conference room. He needed his father right now and he had to try and convince his father to let him go with him when Anakin and Jacen went to attack the world brain on the mother ship of the Yuuzhan Vong.

When he reached the conference room, he was about to press the door release button when the voices of Anakin, Ben and Yoda came through the door.

"…No telling if we will have enough ships to defeat the Yuuzhan Vong," Ben was saying.

"It will be even harder to make it to the Worldship, as Jacen called it, if they see us coming," Anakin's voice said.

"Yes, I know this, Anakin," Ben replied.

"Distracted by the sudden attack of the Wookiees they will be," Yoda's voice said. "Leave after Captain Solo, Jade and Chewbacca you, Jacen, Jaina, younger Anakin, Obi-Wan and Luke must immediately."

"Yes I know," Anakin said in reply.

"Has Luke still been trying to convince you to let him go with you?" Ben asked.

Anakin sighed. "He's as stubborn as I was his age," he said. "But he can't seem to understand that I'm doing this to make sure he has a future to live in. If I don't do this then he will end up dying and I do not think I can bear that."

"Stubborn Luke is but young he is still as well. Just barely found his father he did," Yoda said.

"He loves you so much that it tears at my heart just to think of what will happen when that part of the prophecy is fulfilled," Ben said softly and Luke heard sadness in his voice.

Anakin's voice sounded even worse. "I know but this is something I have to do. This was what I was meant to do. I am the Chosen One of the prophecy, no matter what happened to me in the past, and I am the only one that can fulfill it," he said.

"Convince Luke to stay with Obi-Wan, Jaina and younger Anakin you must, Anakin," Yoda said softly.

"I've been trying to do so but he won't listen to me," Anakin said softly.

"Very stubborn he is," Yoda agreed.

"And he likes to eavesdrop," said Ben and Luke frowned before leaping back with surprise when the door opened to reveal Ben, Anakin and Yoda examining him with curiosity and amusement in their eyes.

"You've got to stop doing that, Luke," Ben said.

"Or at least not get caught next time," Anakin said smiling.

Luke jogged into the room before walking to Anakin's side before he glared at Ben and Yoda. _Why didn't you tell me you knew the truth behind the prophecy?_ He demanded silently sending the thought to Yoda and Ben.

Anakin, clearly hearing the thought, sighed. "How did I know he was somehow going to figure that out?" he murmured.

Ben gazed at Luke sadly. "We would have told you, Luke," he said softly. "But we didn't want to worry you."

"Set in stone the prophecy is not. Come true all of it may not," Yoda added.

_If that is so then why didn't you tell me? _Luke demanded. He felt Anakin's hand on his shoulder as he waited for Ben and Yoda to reply.

"Because there is the possibility that it will come true," Ben said. "I have already discussed this with you, Luke, do you not remember?"

Luke's eyes filled with tears. _My father might die!_ He cried silently. _If you had told me then I could save him!_

"That is precisely why they did not tell you, my son," Anakin said softly causing Luke to glance at his father sharply in surprise. Anakin smiled gently at him before going on, "this prophecy is for me to fulfill and me alone. I cannot and will not allow the future to be destroyed. I want you to have a happy life and a happy future and that cannot happen if the Yuuzhan Vong take over the galaxy and kill you and/or Leia. If I have to give my life to give you and the rest of the galaxy peace then that is what I will do."

"Spoken like a true hero," Ben said softly.

Luke swallowed. _I can't lose you,_ he protested.

Anakin smiled softly before he wrapped his arms around his son and held him close though he didn't say anything in reply to Luke's statement for a while. "I know, my son, I know but this is what is supposed to happen," he said.

Luke gazed at his father with tears slipping down his face before he wrapped his arms around his father's waist and Anakin held him as he cried as if he was a little boy and not fifteen years old.

* * *

Anakin held his son until the boy stopped crying before he gently released the boy and gazed down at him. Obi-Wan and Yoda had left to give father and son some privacy and Luke seemed relieved to have some alone time with his father.

_Please, Father, let me go with you,_ Luke asked silently.

"We have been through this before, Luke, you cannot go to me. This is my destiny, not yours," said Anakin softly. He placed his hands on Luke's shoulders. "Luke, my son, your destiny is far greater than mine will ever be and you cannot throw that all away by getting yourself killed."

_I won't let you die father,_ Luke cried silently.

"I am sorry, Luke, but I do not think you can stop it," Anakin said.

Luke gazed at his father and a faint glimmer of hope glittered in his eyes. _Perhaps Ben is right and the prophecy won't happen as it was dictated to happen,_ he suggested silently.

Anakin drew his son closer to him and wrapped him in another hug. "Perhaps, son, perhaps," he said softly. However, Anakin knew deep in his heart that Luke was wrong and the prophecy was going to play out exactly as it was dictated to happen.

* * *

_Anakin's vision began almost as soon as his head hit the pillow of his bed in his chambers onboard the _Executor_. He was standing in a dark chamber surrounded by an eerie silence that sent shivers of fear and horror go down his spine. The silence was interrupted by the sound of lightsabers flashing and bodies were suddenly slumping to the ground._

_Anakin immediately recognized the bodies as those of the Yuuzhan Vong andh e closed his eyes to not witness the horror in front of him._

_However, his eyes snapped open when a shriek of pain echoed throughout the chamber and he glanced up as the familiar form of Jacen staggered back, clutching a wound in his arm. He didn't drop his lightsaber though and continued to move it rapidly back and forth as the Yuuzhan Vong continued to press around him._

_Another lightsaber flashed and Anakin glanced sharply toward it in time to see a blue lightsaber, one that he recognized as his own, the one that he had given back to Luke earlier, and he narrowed his eyes when he saw that he was fighting beside Jacen next to the Yuuzhan Vong._

Why in the world is Luke here?_ He wondered silently._

_He continued to watch the battle as it raged back and forth and he gasped in shock as more Yuuzhan Vong entered the chamber and he had to swing his lightsaber rapidly back and forth to slice through the Yuuzhan Vong that got to close to him._

"_Destroy the world brain, that's our only shot, Jacen," Anakin heard himself yelling._

"_I'll take care of it," Luke shouted before he hurried toward the world brain._

"_No, Luke, wait!" Anakin shouted._

_Luke didn't hear him as he ran and one of the Yuuzhan Vong seemed to look like they were triumphant and Anakin knew what they were going to do almost as soon as they did it. Luke raised his lightsaber but before he could deliver the final blow, the Yuuzhan Vong advanced quickly on Luke and swung its' weapon and Anakin screamed in horror and fury as the blade connected with Luke's back, immediately causing him to bleed and fall to the ground._

"_LUKE!" Anakin screamed again in absolute horror._

_

* * *

_

Anakin's cry of horror surged through the Force and Luke sat up sharply, his eyes widening with shock as he quickly scrambled out of his bed and hurried toward his father's bedroom. As he had been given a room in his father's meditation chambers, he had direct access to his father room for whenever he needed help with something.

Luke hurried to the room before pressing the door release button and running into the room. He spotted his father and quickly hurried to his father's side when he saw Anakin struggling to wake up. _Father! Father!_ Luke cried wishing not for the first time that he could actually speak as he grabbed his father's shoulders and shook them rapidly, hoping that it would be enough to wake the Jedi up.

Anakin gasped before his blue eyes snapped open and he gazed around until his eyes locked on Luke. There was horror, sadness, fear and slight fury in their depths and Luke frowned, wondering where those emotions came from. _Father…_ he began silently.

Anakin sat up before wrapping his arms around his son and drew him close, pressing his lips to the top of Luke's head and not letting him go. Luke hugged his father back and they stayed like that for a long while. It seemed to Luke that they had been doing a lot of hugging since Luke found out the truth behind that line in the prophecy.

_Father, what happened?_ Luke asked silently.

Anakin gazed at him for a long moment. "I had a nightmare," he whispered. "And I think it was a vision of the battle that is to come."

_What did you see?_ Luke asked.

Anakin hesitated for a long moment. "Something you shouldn't worry yourself with," he said softly. "Just do something for me, Luke, stay with Obi-Wan, Jaina and Anakin when we go to rescue Leia."

Luke gazed at his father. _No, I am going with you,_ he said stubbornly through the Force.

Anakin gazed at him with sadness in his eyes. "Please, Luke, just do this for me," he said.

Luke gazed at his father before he nodded. _Fine Father,_ he said though in the depths of his mind, he knew it wasn't likely that he was going to listen to his father's suggestion.

Anakin held Luke for a long moment before he let him go. "Thank you, Luke," he said before he stretched and gazed around. "It's still early and we're not leaving for the Yuuzhan Vong's mother ship until later today."

Luke nodded before stepping aside to allow his father out of the room before he followed him out of the room. Anakin immediately made his way toward the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer and Luke gazed after him before he turned and made his way to the hangar bay where he was sure he was going to find Han getting ready to meet the Wookiees near Galidraan.

"Luke!" Mara's voice came to Luke almost as soon as he walked into the hangar bay and he smiled faintly when the flaming haired fourteen-year-old girl jogged over to join him, her green eyes narrowed.

Luke smiled in greeting to the girl. '_Hello Mara,_' he wrote onto the datapad before showing it to Mara who smiled faintly.

"Solo and Chewbacca are getting the _Millennium Falcon _ready to meet the Wookiees near Galidraan and Captain Piett is preparing the shuttle you, your father and the others are going to the mother ship," she said.

Luke nodded and sadness glittered in his eyes.

Mara frowned. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Luke hesitated. '_Did you know about the meaning of the prophecy?_' he wrote onto the datapad.

Mara hesitated after she read the question before she nodded. "The others didn't know how your father's death would affect you and they were afraid that it was going to destroy you so they insisted that we keep it a secret," she said softly.

Luke sighed. He supposed he could respect that but it still hurt that they couldn't tell him the truth, especially when it was concerning his father. '_Would you have told me if the others hadn't insisted it be kept a secret?_' he wrote onto the pad.

Mara was silent for a long moment as she thought about how best to answer the question. "After seeing how close you and Va…Anakin have become, I don't think I could tell you," she said. "But then, Palpatine taught me to keep quiet about a lot of stuff, that's why I was his spy so I might not have told you."

Luke gazed at Mara for a long moment until he blushed when Mara gently placed her hand on his. "Come on, why don't we go help Han?" she suggested.

Luke smiled before he nodded and followed Mara as she led the way toward the _Millennium Falcon_ where Han and Chewbacca were struggling to make it acceptable for travel and battle.

* * *

**A/n What do you think?**

**Blaze: that was chapter 22**

**Darth: that is cool**

**Blaze: yup and the next chapter will come out as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon so reviews are much appreciated.**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Blaze: (sad) here's the next chapter**

**Darth: is this the chapter…?**

**Blaze: no, it's the next chapter**

**Darth: really?**

**Blaze: really**

**Palpypie: hahahaha, ANAKIN'S GOING TO DIE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Blaze: (cries, slices Palpypie in half, pushes his remains into a lava pit and runs off)**

**Darth: (scowls, makes Palpypie alive again, blasts him to smithereens with an A-bomb and stalks off)**

**Anakin: (scowls, makes Palpypie alive again, slices him into a million pieces, scatters his remains across space and Mustafar before stalking off)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: that's mean**

**Luke: well you're the one that mentioned what's going to happen in the next chapter you idiot. Here is chapter 23 and Blaze hopes that you like it, reviews are much appreciated. Oh and the weapons mentioned that are used by the Yuuzhan Vong are what her dad told her so blame him if they are wrong.**

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Shimmra Jamaane walked over to join his Warmaster as the two of them watched an exhausted Leia being tossed into her tiny cell. "When are we going to kill her?" Tsavong asked looking at the Supreme Overlord. "It is about time that we finally kill her as she is too stubborn and won't give us any information that we could use when we take over the galaxy."

"Organa has always been stubborn. From what little I know about the Emperor, I know that she must get that from her father," Shimmra said.

"Then why don't we kill her?"

"Patience, it would be best if we wait for now."

Tsavong scowled before he turned his gaze to the viewports of the Worldship. "We need to expect the rescue party to come soon," he said turning his gaze back to Shimmra. "The Emperor doesn't seem like the person to leave his own daughter in our hands for too long and it wouldn't be surprising if we find them here soon." He lifted his sword and said coolly, "I want to kill the Emperor and Jacen Solo if the later should be among the rescue party."

"Of course," Shimmra said. "We will also have to keep an eye out for the approach of the Alliance, the Empire and the Chiss, especially if Admiral Pellaeon is the one that's leading the attack. I have always hated him and I've heard about Admiral Thrawn."

"We can figure out the details of the plan later but for now, we need to prepare for the rescue team," Tsavong said.

"Post some Yuuzhan Vong in the hangar bays of the Worldship and keep at least three or four of our people guarding every corridor leading to the princess's cell," Shimmra ordered and Tsavong nodded before glancing at Nom Anor.

"Take care of that," he ordered, "And make sure to put people who can fight very well because we are dealing with, at the most, three Jedi."

"Yes sir," said Nom Anor before he got up and quickly hurried out off of the bridge and walked to join the other members of the Yuuzhan Vong who were gathered in the hangar bay of the Worldship while Shimmra and Tsavong began speaking to the other members of the Yuuzhan Vong.

* * *

Obi-Wan waited in the hangar bay, watching as friends said goodbye to friends as the three separate teams who were going to attack the Yuuzhan Vong above Galidraan. Han, Mara and Chewbacca were gathering together on the boarding ramp of the _Millennium Falcon_ while they said their goodbyes to Luke, Jaina, Jacen and younger Anakin.

He turned his gaze to Anakin who was standing at his side, still dressed in his black outfit with his lightsaber, the same one he obtained when he joined Palpatine, clipped to his belt. "Are you ready, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked softly.

Anakin smiled faintly and sadly. "No but we may as well get it over with," he said softly.

Yoda waddled over to join them. "Remember, Anakin, always in motion the future is. Set in stone the prophecy never is," he said quietly to the former Sith Lord.

"I know, Master Yoda," Anakin said lowering his head slightly to the aging Jedi Master. "I will keep that in mind."

Yoda nodded. "All I ask that is," he said before he glanced at Captain Piett who walked over to join them with a few stormtroopers just behind him. "Ready to go I am," he added.

"These stormtroopers will go with you when you join Grand Admiral Thrawn on the _Chimaera,_" Piett said. "Thrawn requested them so I thought it would be best if they joined Master Yoda. If that is all right with you, my Lord."

Anakin shrugged. "It's fine by me, Captain Piett," he said. "It will save us time that we can use consolidating our plans."

Piett nodded and the stormtroopers joined Yoda before they headed toward the shuttle that would take the old Jedi Master and the stormtroopers to the _Chimaera._

Anakin watched the aging Jedi Master go before he let out a long sigh and turned his gaze to Obi-Wan. "Why do I have this feeling that I'm never going to see him again?" he murmured.

Obi-Wan smiled before gently placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't worry, Anakin. Like Master Yoda said, the prophecy can change at any given moment so you may see him again," he said. He paused for a moment as he looked at Luke. "Don't tell Luke that, though, Anakin. If we get his hopes up then it will be even more devastating for him if the prophecy ends up playing out exactly as it said it would."

Anakin nodded. "He's already going to be devastated and that's what hurts me the most but…" he paused for a moment before adding softly, "I had another vision, Obi-Wan, one that should be a possible outcome of the battle to destroy the world brain. I saw Luke die, Obi-Wan, he _died!_ It was the most horrifying thing that I've ever seen."

Obi-Wan blinked sympathetically at Anakin. "And that strengthens your resolve to give your life for your son?"

"I was going to do that anyway," Anakin snapped angrily. "I didn't need to be reminded that if I didn't do this then I would lose my son, in the most horrible way possible. Why do I keep having these Force-forsaken visions? And why can't I seem to stop these visions from happening? My mother! Padmé!" Tears of frustration and anger fell from Anakin's eyes and Obi-Wan gently hugged his former Padawan in an attempt to stop the flow of salty tears.

"I saw my mother in pain and she died in my arms, Obi-Wan," Anakin whispered. "I saw Padmé dying in childbirth and she does that after giving birth to Luke and Leia. Why do I have a feeling that I can never stop my visions from happening, no matter how hard I try?"

"I'm sorry, Anakin, I truly am and I honestly don't know what to say to help you," said Obi-Wan quietly.

Luke jogged over to join them with Jaina, Jacen and younger Anakin just behind him while Han, Mara and Chewbacca disappeared into the _Falcon_ and the shuttle carrying Yoda lifted up off of the ground before flying toward the_ Chimaera_ that lay in the distance.

_Are we ready to go?_ Luke asked silently through the Force and projecting his thoughts to Obi-Wan and Anakin while at the same time keeping as close to his father as he possibly could. Obi-Wan noticed that Luke seemed to have forgiven everyone for keeping the truth of the prophecy from him and he hoped that it wouldn't cause him to do something stupid, like leap in front of a blaster bolt meant for Anakin.

Anakin glanced at his son. "Yes," he replied. He turned his gaze to Piett. "Instruct the fighters and the sergeants in the _Executor_ to follow Grand Admiral Thrawn and Master Yoda's lead when you lead the main attack. Remember to wait for Obi-Wan's or Jacen's signal before you attack the Worldship."

"Yes my Lord," Piett said saluting.

Obi-Wan noticed that Anakin had said him and Jacen but not himself as if he was expecting to not return from this final battle. He glanced at Luke and noticed the boy had understood Anakin's underlying meaning because he wrapped his arms around his father's waist and stayed close to him.

Luke gazed at him and Anakin sighed. "We don't have time to tell you everything, Luke," he said out loud. He paused for a moment before adding something through the Force that Obi-Wan couldn't hear and Luke hesitated, looking distraught, before nodding slowly and stepping away from his father.

"What did he ask?" asked Obi-Wan.

"He asked about Padmé," Anakin said. "I haven't had a chance to tell him everything about his mother yet and I fear I won't have time to tell him." He gazed at Obi-Wan for a long moment before he glanced at Luke. "Luke, will you, Jacen, Jaina and Anakin start the shuttle and get it ready for lift off?"

Luke nodded slowly before he glanced at the Solo siblings. Jacen placed a hand on his future uncle's shoulder. "Come on, Luke, you can fly if you want," he said and Luke brightened up a little bit at that before he jogged after Jacen into the shuttle and Jaina and younger Anakin joined him.

Anakin waited until Luke was out of earshot before he turned his gaze to Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, if I don't make it back…" he began.

"Don't speak like that, Anakin," Obi-Wan protested.

Anakin sighed. "If I don't make it back," he repeated, "then please tell Luke about Padmé, everything, from the moment we first met her to the disastrous day on Mustafar."

"You really want him to know about that?" Obi-Wan asked amazed that his former Padawan would willingly tell what happened on the darkest day in the galaxy's history.

"Luke deserves to know the whole truth. If I do survive this final battle then I'll tell him but if not, I want you to tell him. You're the only one that will tell him the complete truth and not parts of it like others would. He needs to know the truth; he needs to understand what truly happened to me if he is to stop himself from following the same path."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I understand that, Anakin," he said quietly. He hugged his former Padawan and Anakin hugged him back.

"Come on," he said quietly. "Let's get this over with. The sooner we finish this battle, the better and the less casualties we'll have to deal with."

Obi-Wan nodded before following Anakin as he led the way into the main hold of the shuttle.

* * *

Chewbacca glanced at Han, who was sitting at his side, and Mara, who was sitting just behind the captain of the _Falcon_ before he turned his gaze to the stars that glittered outside. He knew that he had to wait for Anakin's signal and he also knew that Han was a bit impatient to get going.

He wondered why the man he had a life debt with was impatient to get going and he glanced questioningly at his life friend. Han glanced at him as Chewbacca growled out the question on his mind and Han, understanding most of the question that the wookiee was trying to get across, glanced at him.

"I'm worried about the Princess and Luke. The princess is the kid's sister after all and he is worried about her."

'Are you worried?' Chewbacca growled out and Han, understanding most of that question, snorted.

"The princess is cute, I'll admit that," said Han.

Chewbacca barked out in laughter. 'I find it amazing that the princess is my life friend's future mate,' he barked out. Han didn't understand what he had said but he did get the gist of the statement and scowled in response.

"That ain't funny, furball," he growled.

Mara chuckled. "What is he saying?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing," Han said shortly before he turned his gaze back to the stars.

"Solo, are you there?" Anakin's voice sounded over the comm and Han quickly switched it on. "We're here," he said into it.

"Good. Make the jump to hyperspace. Once you have a third of the Yuuzhan Vong's fleet engaged and at the other side of the planet, contact Admiral Thrawn and Master Yoda and let them know. I will be about an hour behind you and Thrawn and the Alliance, Chiss and Empire will make the jump once you contact Thrawn," Anakin said.

"Got it," Han said. "Leia will be all right, won't she?"

There was a moment of silence. "I don't know, Solo, I honestly don't know. Go now and we'll see you after the battle," Anakin said.

"Keep the kid safe, Anakin, please?" Han said softly. In the short time that he's known Luke, Chewbacca knew, Han has started to see the boy as his little brother and he would hate to see something happen to the fifteen-year-old boy.

"I plan to," Anakin replied before he cut the transmission and Han glanced at Chewbacca.

"Are the coordinates in place, Chewie?" he asked.

'Yes, Han,' Chewbacca growled out gesturing with a furry paw toward the console and Han nodded before glancing at Mara.

"Strap in, Jade, we're making the jump to hyperspace," he said.

Mara gestured toward the straps over her. "I am strapped in," she said curtly.

Han snorted. "No need to get snippy," he said before he reached out and pulled the hyperspace levers causing the ship to shudder and the stars disappeared into starlines that in turn vanished into the bluish white flashes of hyperspace. Chewbacca gazed through the viewports as the _Falcon_ traveling toward the planet of Galidraan before he glanced at Han.

'Do you think we can win this battle?' he asked.

Han glanced at him. "I'm sure we can," he said confidently though Chewbacca could clearly see in Han's eyes that he didn't believe his own words any more than Chewbacca did.

"We can win this fight, we have to," Han added quietly.

"Do I really want to know what will happen if we lose?" Mara asked.

"No one but Jaina, Jacen and younger Anakin know," Han replied glancing at the green eyed former Emperor's Hand.

Mara sighed. "I hope that we can win this battle though," she said softly.

"Yeah, so do I," Han agreed.

* * *

Anakin gazed through the viewports of the shuttle as it flew quietly through the expanse of space and he glanced at Luke who was guiding the shuttle through the hyperspace lanes. Luke glanced at him before smiling slightly. _Do you think we'll be able to win this battle, Father?_ He asked through the Force.

Anakin stretched out a hand before placing it on his son's shoulder. "We have to, Son," he replied.

"I am sure there is a way we can win this battle without too many casualties," Jacen said. "The key will be to take out the worldbrain and Shimmra and Tsavong while we're at it. Without them, the Yuuzhan Vong will be without leadership and they'll, basically, disintegrate."

"That will have to be the best course of action," Anakin agreed. He glanced at Jaina and younger Anakin. "Once you have Leia, get back to the shuttle as soon as you possibly can."

_What about you?_ Luke asked through the Force.

"I already told you, Luke, I'm going with Jacen to take out the worldbrain and also take out Tasvong and Shimmra," Anakin replied. He paused for a moment before adding, "And no you can't come with me. You promised you wouldn't."

Luke lowered his head and Anakin got the distinct feeling that Luke wouldn't listen to him. He hoped his son would because he certainly didn't want _another_ of his visions to come true, not after he lost both his mother and his wife. He wouldn't be able to go on living if his son were to die.

"You did promise, Luke," younger Anakin reminded him. He had heard of the promise Luke had made to the elder Anakin when the latter of the two told him about it just before they headed out toward the shuttle to get ready for the final battle.

Luke scowled at him but younger Anakin merely shrugged. "I won't stay out of this, Luke," he said calmly before he turned his gaze to elder Anakin.

Anakin nodded slowly. "Keep an eye on him when we reach the Worldship," he said gesturing with a dip of his head toward Luke. "I don't think he's going to stay with you and I certainly don't want him to do something stupid, as I am sure he is thinking of doing."

_I can hear you,_ Luke snapped silently.

"Yes, I know, that is why I said it," replied Anakin. "Besides, you are like me in many ways and that is definitely something I would do if I had to."

Luke gazed at his father for a long moment, a defiant look in his eyes. _I will not let you die,_ he said firmly through the Force.

Anakin placed his mechanical hand on his son's shoulder again. "I know," he said. "But you might have to." He turned his gaze back to the hyperspace lanes as they slowly slide past as he thought about the upcoming battle.

_Perhaps Yoda is right,_ Anakin thought as he glanced side long at his son. _Perhaps the prophecy won't go as Qui-Gon said it would. _He closed his eyes for a long moment as the shuttle traveled through the silence of hyperspace.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was the six page chapter 23**

**Darth: I liked it**

**Blaze: the next chapter isn't likely to come out anytime soon due to the fact that I'm getting THAT much closer to the part I'm going to hate in this story**

**Darth: isn't the next chapter going to be from Han's, Leia's, and Yoda's POV?**

**Blaze: yup but the chapter after that is going to be hard to type**

**Darth: really?**

**Blaze: or it could be chapter 25 or maybe even chapter 26, it depends on how I organize the next chapter**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: please review and I will post chapter 24 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it will be anytime soon**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Blaze: (sobs)**

**Darth: well, if you don't want Ani to die then don't kill him!**

**Blaze: it's essential to the plot (cries)**

**Anakin: what did Palpypie do this time? (comforts Blaze)**

**Palpypie: I didn't do anything**

**Anakin: (ignites lightsaber)**

**Palpypie: (takes off running)**

**Blaze: (sniffs) here is chapter 24 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciate and thank you to everyone who helped me to get over 250 reviews. Oh and the Wookiee that is mentioned is just a random famous wookiee I got off of Wookieepedia.**

**Blaze: once again, this is AU, since I am likely to never read NJO so I am making it seem as though the Yuuzhan Vong have blasterfire, well their ships at least so do not flame me for that.**

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Han guided the _Millennium Falcon_ into the shadow of the moon orbiting Galidraan the instant he jumped out of hyperspace. He could see the many stolen starships that the wookiees had taken when they escaped slavery back when Han and Chewbacca first met. He glanced at Chewbacca. "Contact Quagga," he said. "We need to make sure they're ready."

"Those are the Yuuzhan Vong?" Mara asked pointing out the rear viewport to where several organic ships were floating above the planet.

"I suppose so. Jaina said their ships were organic and those are the only ships that look organic to me in the area," Han replied. "Do you know if they have spotted us?"

Mara shook her head. "It's hard to tell," she said. "But we did come out of hyperspace behind the moon so it's likely, unless they're scanning the area, that they don't know we're here."

Chewbacca glanced at Han before barking out a quick question and Han nodded. "Tell 'em that we need to engage at least half of the Yuuzhan Vong and get them to the other side of the planet. Getting 'em to chase us is the main priority in order to give Anakin enough time to get Leia and Thrawn and Yoda enough time to arrive here to engage the other forces."

Chewbacca barked in reply before letting out a series of barks and growls into the comlink to Quagga who barked in agreement and Han watched as starship after starship appeared from the shadow of the planet Galidraan and flew rapidly toward the Yuuzhan Vong ships.

"Let's go," Han called before glancing at Chewbacca who barked in agreement and the _Falcon_ flew rapidly around the moon before hurrying to head the wookiee party.

"Incoming, Han," Mara called. "Fighters, organic fighters by the looks of them, are coming in at point oh three."

"Get to the gun turret, the lower one, I'll take the upper one, Chewbacca, keep us aligned with the wookiees and keep me updated on what Quagga and the other wookiees are doing," Han called down to his wookiee companion.

Chewbacca barked in agreement and Han quickly undid his restraining straps before hurrying out of the cockpit with Mara just behind him. The two of them separated when they reached the turrets and pulled on their headsets.

"Those things are quick for being completely organic," Mara commented as she and Han swiveled in their seats at the oncoming fighters. Han hadn't really been expecting starfighters but he also noticed that there were very little fighters to begin with.

It was the main ships that were firing on the wookiees and Han could see that the wookiees were having a hard time keeping the fire from the Yuuzhan Vong at bay. "Come on, we have to concentrate fire on the main ships, that is where the main fire power is located."

More Coral Skippers flew rapidly at Han and the Wookiees and the firefight between the Wookiees and the Yuuzhan Vong began.

* * *

Leia sighed, pain ravaging her body as she lied in her cell in the Yuuzhan Vong's worldship. She was exhausted, filled with pain, weak and wanted nothing more than to sleep but it seemed that every time she tried to sleep, the Yuuzhan Vong would come in and start the torture sessions once again.

She sighed before closing her eyes and resting her head on the stone wall. She hoped that her brother and the others were all right. She had come to care about the others in the short time that they've been together, even the scruffy nerfherder that would be her future husband, Han.

Leia had to admit that she was starting to miss her companions, even the man that had once been Vader and who was also her father. She didn't entirely accept that Vader was her father but she felt a bit better knowing the truth even if she was reluctant to accept it.

Leia had to hope that Vader….er Anakin…was all right because she knew of how much his death would affect Luke. Luke's love for his father was so profound that Leia could feel it even though she has no experience in the Force. It came off of Luke in thick waves that could bowl Leia over if she wasn't too weak to stand, let alone let the Force waves knock her over.

The former Princess of Alderaan thought about the Yuuzhan Vong. The evil creatures who mutilated their own bodies and tortured their captives using what they call the Embrace of Pain. These monsters were also the ones that were responsible for the destruction of Alderaan and the destruction of the Death Star. Leia may not care that the Death Star was destroyed, she did care about the thousands of people who lost their lives when the space station was destroyed however. It was nothing compared to the millions of people who died when Alderaan was destroyed but it was still many people; families, loved ones, parents, grandparents, children!

Leia wished not for the first time that none of this had ever happened and that Alderaan had never happened. She missed her adopted father, Bail Organa, whom was killed when the planet was destroyed. She also knew that Luke was also missing his relatives, who were also killed on Alderaan.

Sighing, Leia closed her eyes before slowly using the Force to reach toward Luke's mind. She found Luke's mind, which was easy to find since she's found it before, a chaotic whirlwind of worry and fear. She found that she couldn't talk to Luke when his mind was clouded with such emotions.

_Luke?_ Leia called silently but Luke didn't reply and Leia found herself getting worried. _Luke, Luke, can you hear me?_ Once again, Luke didn't reply to Leia's silent question although she could feel his Force signature, it was hard to miss with how intensely bright it was. It worried her; she knew he was capable of replying but for some reason he wasn't.

_What is going on with Luke? Why isn't he replying?_ Leia wondered silently.

She stretched out with what she taught herself about the Force and found another bright Force signature, one that suppressed Luke's by a slim margin, in the same immediate area as Luke's signature. She figured that this signature belonged to V…Anakin and an idea came into her mind.

_If I can't contact Luke then maybe I can contact Va…I mean Anakin,_ Leia thought. She knew it was going to take her a while to get used to calling Vader Anakin.

_Anakin? _She called through the Force once she easily found Anakin's Force signature.

Surprising came back to her. _Leia?_ Anakin's voice whispered into her mind. _This is surprising. I thought you hated me._

_Well... _Leia didn't know how to reply to that.

_Never mind that, _Anakin said before Leia could think of a plausible explanation. _How are you?_

_Tired, weak, in pain. These Yuuzhan Vong are torture maniacs,_ said Leia through the Force.

Slight anger came back at her. _Don't worry, Leia, we're on our way,_ Anakin assured her silently.

_What's wrong with Luke, Anakin? _Leia asked silently. _I can't seem to reach his mind, it's like it's blocked to me. Why is that? I was able to contact him last time but I can't now for some reason._

_It's because his mind is clouded with too many emotions and it's blocking you out. There's nothing I can do about it. He's worried about the prophecy and nothing I say can calm himself down,_ said Anakin through the Force.

_Have you tried anything to bring him out of this?_ Leia demanded silently.

_It's harder than it looks, Leia. Luke is trying to tell himself that the prophecy won't come true but it's getting harder for him to convince himself of that, _Anakin said silently.

_What do you believe?_

Anakin was silent for a long moment as if thinking about how best to reply, intense sadness came off of him. _I believe that the prophecy shall be fulfilled exactly as it was spoken,_ he said finally.

_You really think you're going to die?_

_Yes._

Leia narrowed her eyes although she knew that it would devastate Luke if the prophecy did come true, she knew that Anakin truly believed the prophecy was going to occur exactly as it was spoken. _Is there any way that the prophecy has a different meaning behind it then the one we figured out?_ She asked silently.

There was a long moment of silence. _It's possible,_ Anakin said finally through the Force. _But I don't think so because I can't think of any other way for the prophecy to be fulfilled._

_Do you think you can try to get Luke to come out of this...depression?_ Leia asked silently.

Anakin sighed silently through the Force. _I don't know, Leia, I honestly don't know. He's scared and yet he's determined so I don't even know if it is depression. However, I fear that he will do something stupid and it may cost him his life,_ he murmured silently.

_I hope that Jaina, younger Anakin and Obi-Wan will stop him from doing something stupid,_ Leia murmured silently.

_So do I, Leia, so do I,_ Anakin replied silently.

* * *

"Are we from Galidraan how far?" asked Jedi Master Yoda as he sat beside Grand Admiral Thrawn onboard the _Chimaera _as it traveled slowly through space. To avoid arriving too soon for the battle, Thrawn had insisted they travel in real space for most of the trip before jumping the last few lightyears to Galidraan.

"A few days, Master Yoda," Thrawn replied smoothly. "We will arrive at the moment that Emperor Vader wants us to arrive at. So long as we get there after Solo and the Wookiees engage and distract half the fleet and Vader and the others get into the ship to rescue the princess."

Yoda nodded before he turned his gaze back to the stars and narrowed his eyes. Stretching out with the Force, the little green dwarf could sense the turmoil that was existing within young Luke's mind. _Worried I am that do something stupid young Skywalker shall, _Yoda thought silently.

"Something on your mind, Master Yoda?" Thrawn asked.

"Focusing on the upcoming battle I am," Yoda replied. "But also focusing on young Skywalker I am. Do something stupid I fear young Skywalker shall. Jeopardize Vader's mission he may if follow his instincts and his sense of what's right he does."

"What do you mean by that, Master Yoda?"

"Protect Vader young Skywalker wants to, accept Vader's fate young Skywalker does not and give his life for his father Skywalker may. Jeopardize our entire mission he will if give his life for his father he does," Yoda replied. He sighed before adding, "Much indecision and turmoil I sense in young Skywalker. Undecided on what to do he is but wish for Vader to die he does not."

"Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good," Captain Pellaeon said from where he was standing the Chiss Admiral.

"Yes, understand this the others do but not young Skywalker. Love his father too much Skywalker does, distract him in this upcoming battle it will," Yoda said. He shook his head to clear it before turning to look at the Chiss. "If killed young Skywalker is then for nothing this battle will be. The key to the future young Skywalker is."

"If he is truly the key to the future then we should never have let him go," Thrawn said.

"Yes but stubborn young Skywalker is, just like his father. Left behind he would not have been. Followed his father, young Skywalker may have and worse than we had thought the outcome of this battle may have been."

"Then we'd best hope that the others can prevent Skywalker from ruining the future," Thrawn said.

"Indeed. But know what he is doing Vader does. Let his son die he will not even if give his life for his son he does," Yoda said almost sadly. Vader had just returned to the light side of the Force, being the first Jedi that Yoda has ever known to return to the light after being completely immersed in darkness, and Yoda felt almost bad for him. _To return to the light side only to die, a tragic fate that is but one that must be accepted by elder Skywalker for balance the force this shall and fulfill the prophecy it will._

_But is the cost too high?_ A part of the old Jedi Master asked silently.

Yoda found himself wondering about that. Perhaps a part of him was right, perhaps the price to bring balance to the Force was a bit too high, especially for the entire Skywalker family and even more so for young Luke Skywalker who has grown quite attached to his father.

_Break his heart Luke's father's death will,_ Yoda thought as he returned his gaze back to the stars that flashed outside, _but happen this has to or fulfilled the prophecy shall never be._

But once again the old Jedi Grand Master Yoda wondered if the price was too high.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: (sniffs) that was the five page chapter 24**

**Darth: what's the matter with you?**

**Blaze: I'm getting closer to the hardest part to type of this story**

**Darth: oh**

**Blaze: (starts crying)**

**Anakin: why do you keep making Blaze cry you idiot? (Pulls out bazooka and aims it at Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: I didn't do anything**

**Anakin: (blasts Palpypie to smithereens)**

**Palpypie's Ghost: ah come on**

**Anakin: (comforts Blaze)**

**Darth: (sighs) please review, thank you to everyone who helped get Blaze over 250 reviews and she would greatly appreciate it if she can get some more reviews. She's not demanding them because she will not be updating soon but can you really blame her when the next few chapters are going to be hard for her to type? So please review, again, and she shall update whenever she finishes chapter 25.**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Blaze: (sniffs) I think I have found a way to push the sad chapter from being posted until next chapter**

**Darth: really?**

**Blaze: (nods) Either that or I'll end this chapter with a cliff hanger**

**Darth: really?**

**Blaze: (laughs) I have 268 reviews on this story so far anyway. So here is chapter 25 and reviews are much appreciated. Oh and PLEASE DON'T MURDER ME WITH FLAMES BECAUSE OF THE CLIFFHANGER ENDING!**

"There is nothing left of you. I can see it in your eyes. Sing the anthem of the angels and say the last goodbye." ~ _Anthem of the Angels_ by Breaking Benjamin

**Chapter Twenty Five**

The shuttle exited hyperspace a few klicks from Galidraan and Luke found himself feeling worse and worse as the Worldship came within view of the shuttle's viewports windows. Ben sat in front of him while Jaina, younger Anakin and Jacen sat at his side and elder Anakin flew the ship easily.

Luke gazed at his father as his father flew the ship toward the Worldship. "Obi-Wan, is Han and Mara on schedule?" Anakin asked looking at Obi-Wan who immediately looked at the navicomp within the shuttle.

"They and the wookiees have half the fleet engaged, Anakin. I do not think the Yuuzhan Vong even know we are here," Ben replied.

"Good. Keep an eye on the battle and let me know if you sense anything different. Since we can't sense the Yuuzhan Vong, we're going to have to based this on their ships and, perhaps, Leia's signature as well," replied Anakin as he guided the shuttle quietly toward the Worldship.

"We are on schedule," Jaina said.

"It's obvious the Yuuzhan Vong hadn't expected a preempt attack and then the rescue mission before the main attack," Jacen added.

Younger Anakin nodded in agreement before his eyes gazed through the viewports. Luke noticed that his eyes had a glazed look in them as if he was seeing something very far away. _Anakin, are you all right?_ Luke asked his future nephew in concern.

Younger Anakin blinked before turning icy blue eyes to look at Luke and nodded. "I'm fine, Luke," he replied before he looked away but not before Luke caught a glimpse of…Surprise?…guilt?…in his eyes.

_Why would he feel surprised and guilty?_ He wondered silently.

Elder Anakin glanced at him. _Who feels surprised and guilty, Luke? _He asked silently.

_Anakin Solo. I caught a gleam of surprise and guilt in his eyes but I don't understand what it means,_ Luke replied silently.

_I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Luke, concentrate on the present,_ Anakin replied before he turned his gaze back to the viewports as he guided the ship into the hangar bay. He noticed that there were a couple of Yuuzhan Vong who immediately ran out into the hangar bay as the ship landed.

"Let's go. We can't let them get back to Shimmra and Tsavong with news that we are here," Jacen said also seeing this. He leapt to his feet before igniting his lightsaber and, once Anakin lowered the boarding ramp, was out of the shuttle. Jaina joined him, her violet lightsaber held at a ready, and Anakin Solo came next while elder Anakin, Obi-Wan and Luke quickly hurried after them.

There were only three Yuuzhan Vongs in the hangar bay and Jaina and Jacen managed to take care of the three of them quickly. Jaina lowered her blade. "There was more," she said. "I think a couple managed to hurry away. We'll have to be careful, especially us," she gestured to herself, Ben, Anakin Solo and Luke.

"Shimmra will automatically believe everyone is heading toward where Leia is being held," Jacen agreed. He glanced at Anakin who's ruby red blade was glittering in the light of the hangar bay before adding, "Ready?"

Anakin nodded. "Ready," he replied.

Luke gazed at his father. _Father…_ he began.

"No, Luke, you _cannot_ come with me," Anakin said firmly before the young fledgling Jedi had a chance to finish his statement. He glanced at Ben who nodded once and walked to Luke's side. Anakin gave Luke a firm hug before holding him for a long moment.

"I have to go now son," he whispered.

Tears spilled out of Luke's eyes. _Father, please, let me come with you,_ he protested silently as he tightened his grip on his father.

Anakin shook his head. "I have to do this, Son," he said softly removing his son's hands from around his waist. "Goodbye son and I love you, more than you can possibly imagine." With that, Anakin nodded a goodbye to Ben before turning around and rushing off after Jacen, who was carrying a backback of charges, as he led the way deeper into the Worldship.

_Father!_ Luke cried but when he attempted to run after his father, Ben grabbed his arms to keep him still. _Let go of me, Ben! My father needs me!_ Luke cried silently.

"No, Luke, your father knows what he is doing. Right now, our primary objective is to get your sister out of here," Ben said firmly.

Jaina nodded. "Come on. Luke, we need you to concentrate and locate your sister," she said.

Luke, tears still flowing rapidly out of his eyes like water gushing down a waterfall, nodded slowly before stretching out with the Force. He immediately sensed his sister's presence and, mutely, he pointed down the corridor closest to them.

"Let's go," Jaina said before she and younger Anakin ran off while Ben guided a distraught Luke after them.

* * *

Mara swung the turret gun this way and that to keep up with the organic fighters as they flew rapidly all around him. Some exploded rapidly as the Wookiees's cannons and guns crashed into them while others were attempting to avoid the wookiees as well as the _Millennium Falcon._

"Mara, ship coming it at point oh three," Han shouted.

"I see him," Mara called back swiveling around in her seat to point the gun at the ship and she began firing on the ship. The ship managed to dodge the first couple of blasts but several more slammed into it and it went spiraling away before crashing into one of the Yuuzhan Vong's main ships.

"Nice shot, Mara," Han called.

"Thanks. Two ships coming in at point oh two and coming in fast," Mara called.

"I see 'em," Han replied and he and Mara teamed up before they fired upon the ships and the ships were destroyed from the onslaught. The wookiees and the _Falcon_ continued to battle back and forth but Mara found herself looking in the direction of the other side of the planet. The Battle of Galidraan was horrendous but Mara knew that the main battle was going to be fought onboard the Worldship.

She just hoped Luke and the others would be able to pull this daring escapade off.

* * *

Yoda watched as Thrawn issued orders left and right, keeping the fighters away from the Worldship and he turned to the hologram of Mon Mothma. "Things going for you how are they?" he asked.

"They've been better," Mothma grunted. "We lost one of our cruisers but we're preventing them from making a quick jump to hyperspace. Already one of the main ships' hyperdrive is damaged as one of our fighters managed to get past the shields."

Yoda nodded. "Send some fighters to join the Empire's fighters you will, Mothma," he ordered. "Keep the cruisers in position, however, you will and prevent a quick jump to hyperspace you shall."

"As was your plan, Master Yoda. Any word from General Skywalker or General Kenobi?" Mothma asked.

Yoda shook his head. "Silent they are. Risk revealing themselves they would if contact us they did. Give the signal when Princess Leia is safe Obi-Wan shall," he replied.

Mothma nodded once in reply.

Thrawn glanced at him. "I am sending some TIE fighters to attempt to attack the Worldship," he said. "If the Yuuzhan Vong leaders think we are attacking them then it'll turn their attention from his Majesty and General Kenobi."

Yoda nodded. "Keep the attack at a minimum, you will," he asked.

"Yes I know, Master Yoda," replied Thrawn.

* * *

Anakin ran after Jacen as his future grandson led the way down the corridors. The Worldship shuddered and Jacen glanced up. "Thrawn is distracting the Yuuzhan Vong so we may have a chance to take out the Worldbrain with minimal casualties," Jacen said as he continue to run.

Anakin glanced at him before nodding slowly. "Jacen, do you think that the prophecy will occur exactly as Qui-Gon said it would?" he asked.

Jacen shrugged. "I don't know, Anakin, I just don't," he replied.

Anakin sighed before the two of them rounded a corner and nearly collided into several Yuuzhan Vong. The Yuuzhan Vong drew back in surprise before they leapt at Anakin and Jacen with their swords held at a ready. Anakin and Jacen immediately began fighting, using their red and green lightsaber respectively to ward off the blows from the swords and eventually cutting through the two Yuuzhan Vongs.

"If there are two here then it's likely there are more near the worldbrain," Jacen said as the two of them continued to run.

Just as Jacen had said, there were five Yuuzhan Vongs outside of the room containing the worldbrain. Anakin and Jacen were both hard pressed to defeat the Yuuzhan Vongs and by this time, one of them managed to escape and raise the alarm.

Jacen raised his lightsaber before leaping at the surviving Yuuzhan Vong while Anakin sank his blade straight into the door knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to open it otherwise. He managed to cut a hole big enough for someone of his size to step through and Jacen quickly joined him.

"It won't be long before the Supreme Overlord and the Warmaster show up, Anakin," he warned as he followed Anakin into the room containing the worldbrain.

Anakin gazed up at the worldbrain before glancing at Jacen. "How long do you suppose it'll take us to take that," he gestured toward the worldbrain, "out."

"We'll have to be quick if we want to take it out," Jacen replied before the two of them dashed toward the worldbrain, which was encased in a glass that preserved it.

A sudden blaster shot went past them and Anakin and Jacen leapt back before whirling around as the Supreme Overlord, Shimmra Jamaane, and the Warmaster, Tsavong Lah, walked into the room.

"Tsavong," Jacen growled.

Tsavong glared at Jacen.

Shimmra turned his gaze to Anakin. "Ah, your Majesty," he greeted him in Basic through a translator on his chest. "What a surprise to find you here. I'd have thought you were going after your daughter."

"Last minute detour," Anakin replied holding his lightsaber at a ready.

Shimmra sneered at him. "You're a fool, your Majesty," he hissed. "You may have surprised us and tricked us by doing a preempt attack but what makes you think you will escape this room alive."

"What makes you think you will?"

Shimmra snarled at him. "And where is Luke Skywalker?" he demanded.

Anakin's eyes flashed. "You will never know," he replied curtly. "You will never take my son from me!"

Tsavong blue eye sacks did the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a smirk. "We shall see about that," he said in rough Basic before he and the Supreme Overlord leapt at Anakin and Jacen and the room containing the worldbrain immediately erupted into battle.

* * *

Leia glanced up as the sound of metal scraping against metal sounded and the cell door opened. Obi-Wan poked his head into the room before looking at Leia. "Leia, are you all right?" he asked.

Leia nodded before she struggled to her feet and would have collapsed had Jaina, who ducked beneath Obi-Wan to enter the cell, caught her. "Y…Yeah, I'm just…tired," Leia admitted.

"I'll bet," Jaina said with a small smile. "Now come on, we have to get back to the shuttle."

"Where's Anakin?"

"Dealing with the worldbrain, Shimmra and Tsavong," younger Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan stepped back before stretching out a hand and grabbing Luke's arm just before the boy could take off running. Leia glanced at her twin brother and she could see worry and fear glowing in her brother's blue eyes. Luke glared at Obi-Wan and Leia figured he was speaking through the Force with the aging Jedi Master.

"No," Obi-Wan said firmly out loud. "Your father entrusted your protection into my hands and I will _not_ let you go help him."

Luke glowered at him.

"Don't use that kind of language with me. I had enough of that during Anakin's training years."

Luke merely glared at him again before he struggled against Obi-Wan's grip.

Leia stumbled over to join Luke. "Luke, calm down! You can't help everyone. Anakin can take care of himself," she snapped weakly as she sagged against Jaina.

Luke glared at him. _Why do you care? You don't care about our father anyway, you hate him!_ He cried silently. _My father needs me. I can sense that he's in danger. I need to go help him! I ne…_

Luke broke off as Leia slapped him sharply across the face and surprise glittered in his eyes.

"Why'd you do that?" younger Anakin asked.

"He was getting hysterical and my adopted mother always told me that the best way to cure hysterics is with a good sharp slap to the face," Leia replied.

Obi-Wan nodded. "Come on," he said. "Let's get back to the shuttle so that I can signal Master Yoda."

Luke gazed sharply at Obi-Wan.

"Your father told me to do this, Luke," Obi-Wan said quietly.

Luke glowered again before he struggled again but Obi-Wan kept a firm grip on Luke's arm as Jaina guided Leia away from the cell. Younger Anakin sat as close to Leia as possible while Luke and Obi-Wan brought up the rear of the group.

* * *

Luke knew he had to get away; he had to help his father. He was too stubborn to merely sit back and allow his father to die. He turned to glare at Ben. _Why won't you let me go?_ He asked silently.

"Because your father told me to," Ben replied.

Luke struggled as he felt his father's danger grow worse. He couldn't feel the Yuuzhan Vongs presences but he could sense the misgiving and danger that Anakin was feeling through the Force. He swallowed. He didn't want his father to die and he wasn't going to let him. He lashed out with the Force with all of his bottled up emotions behind the Force push. The push was powerful enough to send everyone flying and Luke, freed from Ben's grip, turned around and took off running deeper into the Worldship.

"Luke!" Leia shouted but Luke ignored his twin sister as he ran.

* * *

"I'll go after him. You two get Leia back to the shuttle," Obi-Wan ordered before he took off running after Luke while Jaina and younger Anakin guided Leia toward the shuttle in the hangar bay.

Obi-Wan jogged around the corner before stretching out with the Force to keep Luke's brilliant Force presence within his sight. He ran down a corridor, his lightsaber ignited and slicing through any Yuuzhan Vong that attacked him as he ran.

He knew that Luke was being stubborn and stupid and he had to stop him. Anakin would never forgive him if Luke got killed.

Obi-Wan swung his lightsaber to block Yuuzhan Vong's sword as he appeared in front of him and he Force pushed the Yuuzhan Vong away before running after Luke. He had to stop Luke before the boy made the biggest mistake of his life.

* * *

Anakin ducked to avoid Shimmra's sword before lifting his lightsaber to block Tsavong's blade. Tsavong and Shimmra, as well as several other Yuuzhan Vongs who had entered the room, were fighting with Anakin and Jacen, which made it difficult for them to fight off the Yuuzhan Vongs.

Jacen swung his blade to slice through a nearby Yuuzhan Vong before he frowned. "Anakin!" he called sharply.

"I'm a bit busy right now, Jacen," Anakin called back blocking the two sword points aimed at his abdomen before swinging his blade to slice through a nearby Yuuzhan Vong.

_This is important,_ Jacen called through the Force. _Luke's not with Leia, Anakin and Jaina anymore._

Anakin stiffened and barely managed to avoid Tsavong's sword. _What? Where is he?_ He exclaimed silently.

_Heading in our general direction, Obi-Wan's trying to catch him before he reaches us but Obi-Wan's not that young anymore, _Jacen replied silently.

Anakin scowled before stabbing a Yuuzhan Vong through the chest and flipping backwards to stand next to the worldbrain. Jacen finished placing the last of the charges, most of which he got down while Anakin distracted Shimmra and Tsavong before the others showed up.

Anakin ducked to avoid another blade before flipping to Jacen's side. "If he comes here then I want you to get him out of here. Knock him out and carry him if you have to," he ordered.

Jacen nodded slowly before he stabbed a nearby Yuuzhan Vong and he and Anakin began to fight side by side with each other.

It wasn't long before Luke appeared in the doorway Anakin had created with Anakin's old lightsaber ignited and in his hands. Anakin didn't remember when he gave Luke his old lightsaber back but he decided not to think about that as Luke leapt forward straight into the battle.

Shimmra's eyes gleamed with triumph.

Anakin scowled. "Luke, you little brat! I told you to stay away from here!" he shouted.

_I will not let you die!_ Luke shouted back through the Force as he sank his blade into one of the creature's chests before pulling it free and slamming it into another.

Jacen rushed forward before Force pushing Luke and Luke was sent flying back through the hole he had just entered. Anakin flipped over the Yuuzhan Vong and he and Jacen dashed through the hole with a score of Yuuzhan Vongjust behind him.

Luke scrambled to his feet. _What was that for?_ he exclaimed silently.

Anakin glowered at Luke. "I really should ground you for this little stunt, Luke," he snapped.

Jacen glanced back at the worldbrain room. "We've got bigger problems," he said as Shimmra and Tsavong and the others emerged from the chamber.

Shimmra sneered. "Luke Skywalker," he hissed. "The Jedi Grand Master of the New Jedi Order and one of the biggest thorns in the side of the Yuuzhan Vong."

Anakin narrowed his eyes. "Try anything and I'll slice you down the middle," he said coolly.

Shimmra's blue eye sacks did the equivalent of a sneer. "You can't stop me," he snapped before he gestured to the Yuuzhan Vong behind him who immediately leapt forward and charged into Anakin, Jacen and Luke. Although they fought rapidly to keep the Yuuzhan Vong at bay, Anakin, Jacen and Luke soon found themselves separated.

Anakin Force pushed a nearby Yuuzhan Vong out of the way as the prophecy came back into his mind. He had to save Luke; Luke was the key to the prophecy and the key to the future. Anakin took a deep breath to prepare himself for the inevitable and then gazed around for his son.

He spotted his son backed into a corner weaponless with Shimmra advancing on him, his weapon held at a ready.

Anakin glanced at Jacen who nodded once and the two of them took off at the same time. Jacen flipped over Anakin to crash into Tsavong while Anakin rushed forward as Shimmra sneered.

"And now you will die, Luke Skywalker," he hissed before he pointed his sword forward straight toward Luke's chest. Luke was paralyzed with fear.

And time seemed to slow down.

Anakin lashed out with the Force, pushing everyone out of his way before he rushed forward and, just as Shimmra's sword thrust forward, he threw himself in front of his son. Pain flashed through his body as the sword slide straight into his chest and he gasped.

Luke gazed at him with shock glittering in his eyes as Anakin smiled gently but weakly at his son, blood appearing in the corner of his mouth. "I love you, Luke," he whispered weakly before he slowly toppled to the ground with blood pouring out of the wound on his chest.

Luke fell down to his knees beside his father, gathering him into his arms and a miracle seemed to occur next.

"No father!" Luke screamed out loud. Anakin felt himself smiling when he heard his son's voice for the very first, and last, time and then his eyes closed.

After that, there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: waaaaaaah! I nearly cried when I typed that ending**

**Darth: yup**

**Luke: (cries)**

**Blaze: (sniffs) I will not go back and do anything to revise this chapter. What you read here for this chapter is all that you will get and yes I did leave a cliffhanger, I did this on purpose.**

**Darth: is Anakin really going to die? Will the Yuuzhan Vong be defeated? Why did Anakin Solo look so surprised and guilty? What about Mara and the Wookiees? Answers to these questions shall come in the next chapter so please review and Blaze will post chapter 26 as soon as she possibly can but she doubts it'll be anytime soon.**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Blaze: waaaaahhh**

**Darth: don't cry**

**Luke: waaaaahhh!**

**Darth: (sighs and walks off)**

**Blaze: (sniffs) here's chapter 26 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated and this might be a short chapter or a long chapter, it depends.**

**Chapter Twenty Six**

Obi-Wan felt the disturbance in the Force almost immediately before he witnessed the scene in front of him. The Yuuzhan Vong cornering Jacen, Luke staring in stunned shock, and Anakin…lying motionless on the ground and covered in blood. Luke was sitting at Anakin's side with tears streaming down his face while Shimmra raised his bloody weapon in preparation to strike.

"Too bad his sacrifice will not be worth it," Shimmra sneered.

Obi-Wan leapt at Shimmra with his lightsaber ignited and ready before he thrust it at Shimmra. The Yuuzhan Vong Supreme Overlord leapt back to avoid the blade before snarling in fury. Jacen flipped over the Yuuzhan Vong before hurrying to Luke's side as the numb fledgling Jedi knelt on the ground with his father's body in his arms and tears staining his cheeks.

Tsavong leapt at Obi-Wan and he found himself having to deal with two Yuuzhan Vongs while Jacen attempted to get his future uncle to get to his feet. While Obi-Wan fought with the two Yuuzhan Vong, Jacen hurried to his side.

"How's Luke?" Obi-Wan asked as he blocked another blow from Shimmra before hissing in pain when the blade sliced through his arm before he could stop it.

"Not good. He's in shock," Jacen replied. "I do not think he'll be able to do anything to help us now, not after witnessing his father…die right in front of him."

Obi-Wan swallowed before nodding slowly even though he was saddened at the loss of the man he considered to be his brother in everything but blood. "We will have to finish this ourselves then," he said softly.

"Yes, we will," Jacen agreed before the two of them leapt at Shimmra and Tsavong at the same time in their effort to protect Luke, who still knelt in shock by his father's body.

* * *

Leia felt the disturbance almost immediately in spite of her little training in the Force and she gasped before staggering backwards. She would have collapsed had it not been for younger Anakin and Jaina. She noticed that younger Anakin was affected the most by the disturbance; he was pale and his blue eyes were filled with horror and shock.

"Come on, we have to get back to the shuttle," Jaina said firmly grabbing younger Anakin's arm before jerking it hard enough to get him out of his shock.

Younger Anakin shook his head. "This wasn't supposed to happen," he whispered. "Qui-Gon said it wasn't supposed to happen; he said I misunderstood the prophecy. Why did it happen then? Why?"

"What are you talking about, Anakin?" Leia asked glancing at her future son.

Younger Anakin shook his head. "Nothing," he murmured before he jogged ahead into the shuttle before Leia could question him.

She glanced at her future daughter. "What was that about?" she asked.

"I don't know. I really don't understand what's got into Anakin. I think the disturbance centered around elder Anakin hit him harder than he is letting on. I don't know why though," Jaina replied.

The two of them walked back into the shuttle and the younger Anakin glanced up at them while resting his head on his hands. "The battle with the Yuuzhan Vongs is still going on," he said. "Jacen has the charges set but he and the others need to get as far from the Worldbrain as possible before he can activate them."

"What about my father?" Leia asked.

Jaina glanced at her in surprise. "That's the first time you've referred to elder Anakin as your father," she commented.

Leia didn't reply to that statement as she waited for her future son to answer her question.

Younger Anakin shook his head. "I'm sorry, Leia," he whispered.

"Luke must be heartbroken," Leia whispered sinking into a seat next to younger Anakin.

"I can sense his distress, he is more than heartbroken. He's completely shut off from the world and deep in shock," younger Anakin murmured. "I can't even get through to him; his minds closed off to everyone."

* * *

Mara felt the disturbance as well because of the training she received from the Emperor and it briefly distracted her, which caused an organic starfighter to get past her. The _Millennium Falcon_ shook rapidly as blasterfire slammed into it and that was enough to snap Mara out of her daze.

"Mara, keep your head in the battle," Han shouted over the comm.

"I'm sorry. I felt a disturbance in the Force," Mara replied before she pushed the disturbance to the back of her mind and began to fire on the organic ships.

A growling sounded over the comlink and Han's voice shouted, "Mara, the shields on the ship on our portside are down. Let's take that ship out."

"Copy that," Mara called back before she and Han focused their blasterfire on the disabled ship and before long the ship exploded, dropping the number of ships considerably.

"There are only three left,' Han said. "Quagga says he has another of the three remaining ships disabled. Let's go help 'im."

"Copy that, Han," Mara replied before Han issued the order to Chewbacca and the _Falcon_ began to fly rapidly toward the disabled ship.

* * *

Yoda winced when the disturbance hit him and he knew instantly of what occurred onboard the Worldship. Thrawn glanced at him as the battle continued to swarm around them and for a long moment only silence existed between them.

"Are you all right, Master Yoda?" Thrawn asked.

Yoda sighed. "Occurred something has onboard the Worldship. Nearing its end this battle is," he said sadly.

"What is the matter, Master Yoda? You seem distressed."

"Lost someone important we did today," said Yoda softly. He turned his gaze to the space battle that was occurring around him just as the _Chimaera_ shuddered rapidly when blasterfire slammed into it.

"The shields are down to eighty percent, Grand Admiral," Pellaeon called. "Those fighters are making it harder for us to maneuver; there are too many of them."

Thrawn pursed his lips in thought. "Master Yoda, have the rebellion attack from behind from where they are situated. I am sure that the Yuuzhan Vong believe the rebellion is there only to prevent them from jumping to hyperspace."

"Prepared for an attack from behind, they may not be," Yoda agreed before he contacted Mon Mothma.

"Yes, Master Yoda?" Mon Mothma asked.

"Came up with a plan, Grand Admiral Thrawn did," Yoda said. "Attack from behind the rebellion will. Leave some ships you will to prevent them from jumping to hyperspace. Avoid the Worldship you will also, received the signal we have not yet."

"Yes Master Yoda," Mon Mothma replied. "But are you sure this is wise?"

Yoda glanced at Thrawn.

"I believe it is worth the risk," Thrawn replied calmly. "We are at a stalemate with the Yuuzhan Vong; we need to get ahead of them if we are to win. Also, the destruction of the Worldship is the key so we need to give his Majesty and General Kenobi more time."

Yoda felt sadness surge through him as he thought about Anakin and about what Luke must be feeling right now, now that his father was gone.

"Yes, the key the destruction of the Worldship is," he agreed.

* * *

Luke was numb and he supposed that some would be correct if they said that he was in shocked. He couldn't help but stare at his father's body, which was lying motionless in his arms with blood covering his chest. The tears had stopped flowing a while ago and now Luke could do nothing but gaze at nothing in particular while holding his father's body close to him.

His father was so cold and motionless that it scared Luke more than anything; he thought his father could survive anything. His father was a Jedi Knight and a Sith Lord at the same time; he wielded a lightsaber and knew how to use it; he knew how to use the Force.

And yet just like that, he was gone.

Luke gazed at his father, oblivious to the battle that was occurring around him. "Why did you do it?" he whispered softly. "I didn't think you'd do it but you did. Why?" Even in his numb, shocked state of mind, Luke was filled with wonderment at the sound of his voice. He never knew what his voice sounded like; he only ever spoke within someone's mind.

_What was silent shall now speak._

Younger Anakin's prophecy had come true in that portion but Luke found himself wishing, not for the first time, that the rest of the prophecy did not happen just as it was predicted to happen as. He wanted his father; that was all he cared about right now. He wanted his father to be with him and it hurt him that he would never be able to see his father alive again.

He had been hoping to get trained by his father; become a Jedi Knight under his father's tutelage but now that idea was gone along with his father's life. _This is all my fault,_ Luke thought feeling guilty at his father's dead.

_Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened, son,_ a voice murmured in Luke's mind and he lifted his gaze. For a moment, he thought his father was alive until he realized that his father would not have spoken to him in the mind knowing that his son could speak.

_But it is,_ Luke cried silently tears starting to fall from his eyes again.

_I made my decision a long time ago, when I first discovered the meaning behind the prophecy, and even you could not have unmade it for me, _Anakin's voice murmured quietly. Luke felt his father's spirit at his side and he felt the sadness well up inside of him once again.

_But father…I miss you,_ Luke cried through the Force at his father's spirit.

_I know, son, but nothing can undo the past. You will have to deal with it. I now understand the prophecy, son. It was never for me to fulfill, it was always you. _You_ are the Chosen One and you always have been. It is up to you, Son. You are the only one that can save the galaxy,_ Anakin murmured silently and then his voice was gone.

Luke swallowed before gazing at his father's body as his father's words repeated itself in his mind. You_ are the Chosen One and you always have been._

Luke had heard the sincerity behind his father's spirit's words and he knew that what his father told him was correct. He also knew that his father was at his side, even though he was silent, and his father would be there for him and help him when he needed it.

Luke glanced up to find Jacen and Ben fighting side by side with each other but they were badly outnumbered.

"You should have stayed out of this," Shimmra growled through his translator. "If you had just stayed out of this then your death would have been quick and painless but now you shall suffer."

"Especially you Jacen," Tsavong added through his translator.

Luke called his father's lightsaber, both of them, to his hand before he ignited the blue and red blades; the _snap hiss_ immediately alerted Shimmra and Tsavong and they whirled around to find Luke standing up after gently placing his father's head on the ground. The two leaders of the Yuuzhan Vong drew their lips back in a sneer.

"So you are going to enter this fight, Skywalker," he hissed.

Luke narrowed his eyes before he adopted a fighting posture that his father had taught him; his father's spirit at his side giving him the strength that he needed. "My father died to save me so that I may save the galaxy," Luke said firmly loving the way his voice sounded. "And I will _not_ let his death be in vain." With that, Luke leapt at Shimmra and Tsavong with his lightsabers flashing rapidly.

He knew little to nothing about lightsaber combat aside from what his father was able to teach him and so he fell back on that old training. His father's spirit guided him almost as if he was holding Luke's arms and fighting himself. Luke felt comforted with his father's spirit at his side even if his father wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, speak to him.

Ben and Jacen both looked on in shock as Luke fought onward against Shimmra and Tsavong, pushing them away from the Worldbrain.

"Come on, let's make sure no one gets a shot at his back," Jacen shouted before he leapt at the Yuuzhan Vong and Ben quickly leapt after him. The two of them crashed into the Yuuzhan Vong while Luke, Shimmra and Tsavong continued to dance back and forth in the corridor leading to the worldbrain.

_You can defeat them on your own, son, I cannot help you any longer,_ Anakin murmured silently and then he was gone and Luke was left alone.

Luke tried not to let his father's spirit's disappearance get in his way as he fought onward. He used his lightsaber and fought like he's never fought before. He fought for the innocents who died onboard the Death Star; he fought for his aunt and uncle who died on Alderaan when it was destroyed; he fought for his sister who was kidnapped and tortured by the Yuuzhan Vong. And most importantly, he fought for his father who died saving Luke's life so that Luke may have the chance to save the galaxy.

Luke knew he could win this match; he had to win this match if the galaxy was to be saved.

Luke leapt at Shimmra and Tsavong before slamming his lightsaber into Tsavong's chest before, at the same time with the other lightsaber, slicing through Shimmra arm.

Shimmra and Tsavong screeched in Yuuzhan Vong in pain before they leapt at Luke at the same time. Luke anticipated this, however, and dodged out of the way before lashing out with the Force. Tsavong was caught in the Force push and was sent flying into Jacen, who immediately took it upon himself to take care of the Warmaster.

While Jacen and Tsavong fought, Luke focused the rest of his attention on Shimmra as the Supreme Overlord's blue eye sacks moved in the Yuuzhan Vong equivalent of a scowl.

"The galaxy will belong to the Yuuzhan Vong," Shimmra hissed through the translator, "and there is nothing you can do about it."

Luke lifted his lightsabers before leaping at Shimmra but Shimmra dodged out of the way and tripped Luke. Luke went flying to the ground before quickly rolling out of the way to avoid Shimmra's blade. His father's red lightsaber went flying and so he only had his father's old lightsaber with him.

Luke gripped his father's lightsaber tightly before leaping at Shimmra and slammed his lightsaber into the surprised Yuuzhan Vong's chest. Without waiting to see the shocked Yuuzhan Vong fall, Luke deactivated his lightsaber before hurrying over to his father's side. He knelt down beside his father before gathering his father into his arms as the Yuuzhan Vongs, in a panic now that their Supreme Overlord was gone, took off running.

"Come on, Luke, we have to go," said Ben as he walked to Luke's side.

"I'm not leaving my father," Luke said firmly.

"The charges are set. We need to get off of the ship before I can activate the charges," said Jacen.

Ben reached down before gently lifting elder Anakin's motionless body into his arms. "Come on," he said before he hurried away while Jacen grabbed Luke's arm and began to guide him toward the hangar bay.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was the short chapter 26**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: chapter 27 will come out as soon as I possibly can type it up. There are two or three more chapters left**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: so please review and I will post chapter 27 as soon as I possibly can but I doubt it'll be any time soon.**


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Blaze: new chapter is out now**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: I was able to have more time to finish this story now that it's summer vacation**

**Darth: ah that's cool**

**Blaze: so here is chapter 27 and I hope that you like it, reviews are much appreciated and I have decided that this is the last chapter and the next chapter shall be the epilogue**

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

Soon after leaving his son's side, Anakin found himself in a meadow of with tall stalks of grass, tall slender trees and a myriad of different colored flowers. Switching into a cross legged position on the meadow, Anakin wondered if this was what the Force really looked like. He knew that he had to be apart of the Force; once someone dies, they become one with the Force.

He stood up before he began to walk and watched as the Force changed periodically as he walked. A river appeared, winding through the grassy clearing before widening out into a glistening lake that reminded Anakin of Naboo. _The Force is such a beautiful place,_ Anakin thought.

_You are not in the Force, Anakin, you are in transition,_ said a voice and Anakin glanced up but he couldn't see anything.

"In transition?" Anakin echoed. "I thought I was one with the Force."

_Your life has not yet ended so you have not yet become one with me, _the voice murmured and Anakin's eyes widened.

"You're the Force?" he asked.

_Yes I am the Force,_ the voice murmured silently. _I am here to tell you that your son has fulfilled the prophecy and so there is no need for you to stay here._

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked confused.

_You have suffered a mortal wound but not a fatal one, _the Force murmured silently. _You have gone into a Force induced coma and that is why I am able to speak to you and yet you have not become one with the Force._

"So I am still alive?"

_Technically speaking, yes,_ the Force replied._ You will stay in a coma for a while, Anakin, but I do not know how long. However, unlike most people who enter a comatose state of mind, you not lose your memories._

"Can I tell my son?" asked Anakin.

_No, I am afraid not. He will have to be patient until the medic informs him of your condition._

Anakin frowned before sighing and nodding. "I suppose I can understand that," he said softly.

_Now come, there is someone who wishes to speak with you,_ the Force murmured silently.

Anakin stood up before gazing around. "Where am I to go?" he asked.

_Just head straight toward the lake and you will find her,_ the Force murmured and then it was gone.

Anakin walked toward the lake before gazing around just as he found his gaze fixed on a beautiful woman with dark brown hair. The woman glanced up and Anakin gasped in surprise when he recognized her.

_Padmé._

Anakin rushed forward but found he was unable to go any further than a meter from where Padmé was sitting. Padmé stood up before walking over to stand in front of Anakin and stretched out a hand. Anakin stretched out a hand before touching Padmé's, tears in his eyes.

"Padmé," he whispered. "How…?"

"The Force allowed me to walk to the border between transition and the Force to speak with you once I learned that you were in transition," Padmé replied. "You cannot go any further because you are not apart of the Force."

Anakin frowned wanting so much to hug his wife but he knew that he would be unable to do so. He also couldn't help but wonder if his wife hated him for what happened to her on Mustafar sixteen years earlier.

"Our son needs us," Padmé whispered. "That is why you must wake up from your coma as soon as possible and do not give up on life. Luke needs you."

"I know, Padmé," Anakin murmured. "But he was in danger of being killed. I could not just let that happen so I took the blow that was meant for him."

"I know, Anakin, I know. I have been watching both you and our son ever since our son was born. Leia is safe by the way, Anakin."

Anakin nodded. "I know. I trusted Jaina, Anakin and Obi-Wan to get her out of there," he said.

"Obi-Wan went to help you and Luke. You are all on the Lambda shuttle heading for the _Executor_," Padmé whispered. "I must go now. You must stay in transition. You cannot come to me or you'll risk being forever one with the Force. But your son needs you."

"I know, Padmé," Anakin replied. He touched Padmé's hand before drifting backwards. "Goodbye, Padmé, I love you."

"I love you too, Anakin, and I always have. I have forgiven you long ago for your crimes and now you must focus your attention on our children. Goodbye my love," Padmé whispered and then she was gone and Anakin was left alone in transition.

* * *

Leia sat beside Luke as he sat beside his father's motionless body as the Lambda shuttle slowly traveled toward the Chimaera while Jacen pressed the button that ignited the charges. The Worldship exploded, sending debris flying every which way and the shockwave caused the Lambda shuttle to shudder violently.

"The Worldship is destroyed," Jacen said softly. "The Yuuzhan Vong will soon fall apart."

Obi-Wan nodded. He was sitting on Luke's other side gazing at Anakin's body. They had managed to stop the blood from flowing out of the deep wound in Anakin's chest but Leia didn't know whether or not her father was alive.

"Is there any chance that he could be alive and I just can't feel him in the Force?" Luke asked quietly.

Leia was still surprised that Luke could speak but she still didn't get any information as to how that happened.

"I do not know. We will have to see once the medic checks him," Obi-Wan replied.

Luke nodded slowly before he returned his gaze to Anakin's body. Leia also gazed at him and noticed that Anakin looked peaceful in spite of the dried blood and the white bandage on his chest.

"I am so sorry, Luke," Leia whispered.

Luke glanced at him. "I know," he whispered in reply. There was such sorrow in his voice that Leia's heart clenched.

* * *

The medic examined Anakin for a long moment while Obi-Wan watched over him. He gazed at his former Padawan who was lying on the medical bed onboard the _Executor_ while the medic looked over him as well as Leia, who was lying on a medical bed that lay nearby.

"What's the news?" Luke asked. He was sitting beside his father's bed with his hand resting on his father's shoulder.

"He is in a coma," the medic replied softly. "I cannot seem to determine as to when he will wake up, if he wakes up, but he is, technically speaking, still alive."

Luke's eyes glowed with relief. "So he's still alive?" he whispered.

"Yes."

"But the wound…"

"…Was mortal but not fatal," said the medic. "It missed all of his major organs but it opened up a few of his blood vessels, which is why there was so much blood.

"Can you estimate when he will wake up?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I would say approximately three months but it may be more or it may be less. It will be more than a week though because of how bad the wound was," the medic replied softly.

Luke swallowed before he turned his gaze to his father but glanced up as younger Anakin, Jacen and Jaina walked into the room. Jaina glanced at Luke. "It would appear your father is going to be all right," she said.

"But what about the prophecy?" Obi-Wan protested.

"Anakin misinterpreted it."

"It's true," younger Anakin said softly. "Qui-Gon never told me that the prophecy would be fulfilled with the loss of the one that was chosen. He told me that the prophecy shall be fulfilled when a sacrifice is made. I thought that this meant that Anakin would die; I couldn't think of an alternative to what a sacrifice could mean."

"But a sacrifice can mean many things," Jacen said. "It can mean sacrificing your life but it can also mean sacrificing power or…" Jacen glanced at Luke, "Sacrificing time that could have been spent with his son."

Luke's eyes went wide. "So he sacrificed time in order to fulfill the prophecy?" he asked.

"Exactly," younger Anakin replied.

"So the prophecy was fulfilled; just not in the way we thought it would be fulfilled," Leia said softly.

Younger Anakin nodded before he glanced at Jaina and Jacen. "We have to go now, right?"

Jaina nodded. "Yes. We have completed what we set out to do. It is time for us to leave," she replied.

Jacen glanced at Leia. "Tell Han that I say goodbye and I shall see him in the future," he said.

"Us too," Jaina and Anakin agreed before they walked over to the other end of the room. Obi-Wan turned around before shielding his eyes as watched as a brilliant flash of blue light shone into the room and when the light cleared, Jaina, Jacen and the younger Anakin were gone.

* * *

Han landed the _Millennium Falcon_ in the hangar bay of the _Executor_. Just as Jacen, Jaina and younger Anakin had predicted, the Yuuzhan Vong fell into a disarray once the Worldship was destroyed. And then that brilliant flash of blue light shone onto them and they were gone and the space above Galidraan were left exactly as it had been _before_ the Yuuzhan Vong were tossed into the past.

Mara followed Han and Chewbacca as the three of them walked out of the _Falcon_. Obi-Wan met them in the hangar bay. "Hello Han, Mara, Chewbacca," he greeted them.

"Obi-Wan, where's Luke, Leia, and the others?" Han asked curiously.

"Luke's still in the medbay but Leia was released earlier and is speaking with Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied.

"Why's the kid in the medbay? Was he injured?"

"No but his father was."

Han knew that the kid loved his father very much and he remembered the prophecy that his future son Anakin had told him. "Is Anakin…?" he began.

"No," Obi-Wan said shaking his head. "It was really close. He is in a Force induced coma and the medic doesn't think he will wake up for a week at the least but may be more than three months."

"The kid probably ain't too happy."

"He has not left his father's side since he was brought here," Obi-Wan replied. "Leia and I have to team up just to get him to leave long enough to get something to eat."

"I'm going to go talk to him," Mara said before she disappeared down the corridor.

"I guess I'll go find Leia and the others," Han said with a sigh.

Chewbacca barked in agreement before he growled out a question.

"Good question, Chewie. Chewie wants to know what happened to the Yuuzhan Vong," Han said once he determined what his friend was trying to ask.

"They went back to their time period along with Jaina, Jacen and Anakin," Obi-Wan replied.

"They went back to the future already? But I didn't get a chance to say bye to them," Han protested.

"Jaina, Jacen and Anakin asked Leia to give you a message."

"Well I'll go find her then," Han said before he walked away to go find Leia.

* * *

Yoda glanced up as Han walked into the conference room. "Here Solo is," he said.

Leia glanced at him. "We were just talking about you," she said.

Han snorted. "I didn't do anything this time," he said.

"I know that, scruffy nerfherder."

Yoda smiled faintly. "Leave you two alone I will," he said before he waddled out of the room. He spotted Obi-Wan walking over to join him. "Luke how is?"

"I do not know. I haven't checked on him yet," Obi-Wan admitted.

"Go with you to check on him I will," Yoda said.

"Mara's speaking with him right now."

"Still, see him I want to."

Obi-Wan nodded. "Piett, Thrawn and Mon Mothma and preparing to head toward Coruscant," he said.

"Best that might be," Yoda agreed. "Better medical supplies there will be there. Look into the Jedi Temple, we will as well."

Obi-Wan nodded once in agreement before he followed Yoda as the little green dwarf began to waddle toward the medbay.

* * *

Mara sat down next to Luke but Luke barely acknowledged her, his gaze was focused entirely on his father's limp form. "I wish he would wake up soon," he whispered.

"He'll wake up in good time, Luke."

"But the medic said that he may not wake up."

"Luke, I'm sure your father wouldn't leave you like this. He loved you very much, I could see it in his eyes and I don't think he'd want to leave you," Mara said softly putting her arm around Luke's slender shoulders. Luke glanced at her with sadness glistening in his eyes before he wrapped his arms around Mara.

They were hugging each other as the door opened and Ben and Yoda walked into the medbay. "How are you, Luke?" Ben asked.

"I've been better," Luke murmured releasing Mara before glancing at his father's body. "Do you think he'll wake up, Ben?" he asked softly.

"I think so, Luke. Anakin's too stubborn to stay dead," Ben admitted.

"Wake up someday Anakin will. Correct Obi-Wan is. Very stubborn Anakin is," Yoda agreed.

Luke turned his gaze back to his father. "But when?" he whispered.

"It will take time. Perhaps when his wound has healed fully, he will wake up," Ben suggested.

"I hope so," Luke whispered in reply. He wanted very much to believe Ben but looking at his father's peaceful but motionless form, he couldn't help but wonder if Ben was wrong and his father would never wake up from his coma.

_I suppose the only thing I can do is hope,_ Luke thought as he relaxed beside his father's body even as the _Executor _shuddered before it jumped into hyperspace, leaving Galidraan and the sight of the most important battle in history behind.

* * *

**A/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: and that was the last chapter**

**Darth: WHAT? YOU'RE JUST GOING TO CUT IT OFF THERE!**

**Blaze: dude, there's an Epilogue**

**Darth: oh**

**Luke: waaaahhh**

**Blaze: waaaahhh**

**Palpypie: oh boohoo, you big crybabies**

**Luke and Blaze: (scowls, ignites lightsabers, preps chocolate lasers and attacks Palpypie)**

**Palpypie: AHHHHHH! (Takes off running)**

**Darth: (sighs) please review and Blaze will post the epilogue as soon as she possible can but she doubts it'll be anytime soon.**


	28. Epilogue

**Blaze: here is the last chapter of this story, the Epilogue**

**Darth: that's cool**

**Blaze: yup**

**Darth: so…?**

**Blaze: some questions will be answered in this chapter**

**Darth: ah okay**

**Blaze: and there will be no sequel. So here is the epilogue and reviews are much appreciated and sorry about the lack of a reaction from the others upon learning that Luke could speak.**

**Epilogue**

_Four Months Later…_

Coruscant hadn't changed much in the sixteen years since Obi-Wan Kenobi had last set foot on it. But four months was enough to change many things. The Jedi Temple was under repair, Grand Admiral Thrawn was in charge of the Empire until Anakin woke up and was working closely with Mon Mothma to try and reinstate the Senate and the Republic. Obi-Wan knew that it was spending so much time with Yoda and Mon Mothma during the battle above Galidraan and the journey to Coruscant that convinced Thrawn to change his allegiances.

Now Mon Mothma, Leia, Thrawn, and Master Yoda were teaming up to make sure the Empire and the Alliance as well as the Chiss Empire did not fall to chaos. The Imperials were reluctant to accept orders from an alien, let alone two, but they gradually accepted Thrawn when Thrawn told them that Anakin, himself, entrusted him with this task. It was partially a lie because Anakin said no such thing that Obi-Wan knew of. But Obi-Wan knew that Anakin would have wanted this to happen anyway.

Obi-Wan walked toward the hangar bay that lay outside of the Jedi Temple with Yoda at his side. The two of them were on their way to visit Anakin again at the Coruscant Medical Facility that lay next to what had once been the Emperor's palace before it was torn down four months earlier.

Luke and Mara were with Leia, Chewbacca and Han in Senator Padmé Amidala's old apartment in the Senate Apartment Complex, given to Leia by Mon Mothma. Obi-Wan figured it wouldn't be long before Luke decide to visit his father but for now, he was spending time with his friends and his sister.

"Luke how is now?" Yoda asked.

"Still withdrawn, Master Yoda," Obi-Wan admitted. "He hardly responds to anything nowadays and whenever he isn't with his father, he is unusually quiet. Leia, Han and Mara are worried about him."

"Accepted Anakin's comatose state of mind, he has not yet," Yoda said softly.

"I think so as well," Obi-Wan replied. He guided the speeder they were in toward the facility before he landed it and climbed out of the speeder. He and Yoda walked into the medical facility and were immediately met with a young medic, known as Lila, who nodded her head in greeting.

"There isn't much change, Master Jedi," she said. "Although he was responsive for a brief while earlier, he has been still since then."

"See him I wish to," Yoda replied.

"Of course Master Jedi. He is in the third room down that hallway," Lila replied pointing down the corridor and Obi-Wan and Yoda immediately walked down the corridor before entering the room that contained Anakin.

As usual, Anakin looked like he was sleeping; peaceful yet motionless at the same time. Obi-Wan walked to Anakin's bedside as Yoda followed him. Yoda climbed into a seat beside Anakin's bedside before examining him.

"Responsive he was the medic said. Wake up soon I think he will," Yoda said.

Obi-Wan nodded once before he stretched out with the Force and he immediately sensed his former Padawan's Force presence. His eyes widened. "I can sense his Force presence, Master Yoda," he said.

Yoda was about to reply until Obi-Wan felt Anakin stir in the Force. Eyes widening, Obi-Wan turned his gaze to his brother's body. "He's waking up," he whispered glancing at Yoda.

"Go get Luke I will," Yoda said before he climbed out of his chair and quickly waddle away.

Obi-Wan turned his gaze to Anakin as his former Padawan continued to stir. A moment later, Anakin's eyes flickered open and Obi-Wan, for the first time in four months, gazed into the crystalline electric blue eyes of his former Padawan and brother.

"Master?" Anakin murmured softly.

"I'm here, Anakin," Obi-Wan murmured gazing at his brother. "It's good to see you alive and awake."

"How long?"

"Four months."

"Where's Luke?"

"Master Yoda went to go get him."

Anakin smiled faintly. "Did we win?" he whispered.

"Yes. Luke killed Shimmra and Jacen killed Tsavong. Jacen, Jaina, and the younger Anakin went back to the future along with the Yuuzhan Vong," Obi-Wan replied.

"Mmm…I'm glad my sacrifice hadn't been for nothing."

"Did you know the real meaning behind that portion of the prophecy?"

Anakin shook his head as he pushed himself into a sitting position and Obi-Wan helped him up. "No," he replied. "I did not know that the prophecy would mean I would sacrifice time. I did not know the real prophecy until the Force told me it just before I woke up."

"I see."

Anakin smiled at his brother. "It's good to see you again after four months, Master," he said softly.

"You too, Anakin," Obi-Wan replied.

* * *

Luke glanced up as a speeder landed on the veranda just outside of his mother's apartment. He had learned everything about his mother from Obi-Wan and, although it took a couple of days, he finally accepted what his father had done and put it behind him. Now he was merely waiting for his father to wake up; that was what he wanted more than anything in the galaxy right now.

The speeder landed and Mara stood up before walking over to open the transparisteel windows. Master Yoda climbed out of the speeder before walking into the living area of the apartment.

"Master Yoda, what brings you here?" Leia asked curiously.

Yoda glanced at Luke. "Waking up your father is," he said.

Luke's eyes went wide with shock and he was on his feet and halfway toward Master Yoda's speeder before anyone could say anything in reply. "I'm borrowing your speeder, Master Yoda," he shouted to Yoda before he climbed into the speeder and flew rapidly toward the Coruscant Medical Facility. He wasn't all too surprised when Mara, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and Yoda climbed into a second speeder and followed him.

Landing just outside of the facility, Luke shut down the speeder, leapt out of the speeder before hurrying into the building. Lila glanced at him. "He's in the third room down, Master Jedi Obi-Wan is with him," she said once she saw who it was.

Luke nodded before he dashed down the corridor and came to a stop outside the door. For a moment, he stood still before he pressed the door release button and entered the room.

Obi-Wan glanced up along with Anakin. The instant Luke saw his father, alive and awake, he broke down before rushing toward his father. "Father!" he cried throwing his arms around his father before sobbing quietly.

Anakin gently put his arms around his son. "Calm down, son," he murmured softly.

"I will leave you two alone," Obi-Wan said before he walked out of the room and left father and son alone.

Luke swallowed before gazing at his father. "I…I thought you weren't going to wake up," he whispered.

Anakin smiled. "I'm too stubborn to stay in a coma, son," he said.

"So Ben said but I…"

"I know, son, I know."

Luke sat down in the chair beside Anakin's bed when his father released him before he gazed at him, tears streaming down his face. Anakin stretched out a hand before wiping the tears from his face. "Calm down, son. I am fine."

"I can see that but…"

"Son…" Anakin sighed as if knowing that Luke wasn't likely to calm down for a while now that he knew his father was alive.

* * *

Anakin kept an arm around his son's shoulders as more visitors came into the room. Luke had finally calmed down enough to speak coherently and was busy explaining everything that had occurred in the last four months.

"Obi-Wan, whenever he can drag me away from here, has been trying to teach me the Force. Yoda took over Leia's training. Thrawn, Mon Mothma and Yoda are teaming up to reinstate the Old Republic. Thrawn is also helping to search the galaxy for any Jedi that may, or may not, have survived the Jedi Purges. So far, we've found a few who were hiding out deep in the Outer Rim," Luke said.

"They did?" Anakin echoed.

"Yes. A Togruta and a Mirilian. We've also found many Force sensitives that were hidden away by their parents during the Purge," Luke said.

Anakin's eyes went wide. _A Togruta? Is it possible…?_ He thought. "Who is this Togruta?" he asked after a moment's thought.

"She said her name's Ahsoka."

_It is her!_ "Where is she?" Anakin asked.

"At the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan said walking into the Medbay. "She doesn't know who you had once been, Anakin, as she was hidden too far away to be noticed by the Empire. The other is Barriss."

"Barriss survived the Purges? But I thought she died along with Luminara."

"She faked her death and hid along with Ahsoka near Wild Space," Obi-Wan replied. "I have a feeling that Barriss's survival as well as Ahsoka's survival had to be something else that was caused by the Yuuzhan Vong being sent to the past too early just like the duel on Mustafar and Luke being mute."

"I suppose so," Anakin said softly.

Leia walked into the Medbay at that moment with Han, Mara, and Chewbacca just behind her. "I haven't seen a smile on Luke's face in more than four months," she commented.

Luke was smiling, Anakin noticed.

"It's good to see ya awake, Anakin," Han said. "That means Luke can stop moping all over the place."

"Oh shut up, Han," Luke protested.

"Man, now that he can talk, he's gonna be annoying us constantly," Han protested.

Luke narrowed his eyes. "I'm not annoying," he protested.

Obi-Wan stepped out of striking zone. "Tell that to everyone you were speaking to telepathically," he said.

Anakin chuckled. "Truly," he agreed.

"Hey!" Luke glowered at his father who merely laughed.

"I'm only kidding, son. I just have an odd sense of humor."

"That's an understatement."

Anakin rolled his eyes skyward before smiling. "Maybe it is."

Luke chuckled and Anakin smiled at hearing his son's laugh. This was the very first time he's ever heard his son laugh and it was refreshing. Anakin was more than happy that day, four months since the defeat of the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Luke wasn't moping all over the place, Han," Leia commented. "He was sad."

"Why? His father was alive."

"Yes but Lila did say, just as Anakin's medic had said, that he might not wake up."

"So?"

"Are you that insensitive, your scruffy looking nerfherder?"

"I am not insensitive…or scruffy looking!"

"You sure do look like it…the scruffy looking part at last."

"Stop calling me scruffy looking."

"I'm only pointing out the truth."

"It ain't the truth, Leia."

"Isn't it? You really do look scruffy."

"Stop saying that."

"No thanks, it is too much fun."

"That sounds like something Anakin would say," Obi-Wan commented.

Anakin grinned. "Well she is my daughter," he said.

"Oh Force."

Anakin laughed. "She isn't exactly like me, Master."

"True. She never lost the lightsaber that Master Yoda helped her create."

"Did you have to bring that up?" Anakin protested.

"Leia, here's some advice," Obi-Wan said glancing at Leia. "Do not lose your lightsaber more than twice like your father, who lost his lightsaber…actually, I don't know how many times. I lost count at sixteen."

"It's better than being saved ten times by your Padawan," Anakin shot back.

"Nine times, Cato Neimoidia didn't count!" Obi-Wan protested.

"Sure it didn't."

Leia snorted. "I will not lose my lightsaber, Master Kenobi," she said.

"Don't break it either," said Obi-Wan and Anakin scowled at that. "Oh and since Anakin is your father then it's likely you will lose or break your lightsaber at least once."

"Really, Obi-Wan? Do you really think that particular gene was passed on to Leia?" Anakin asked.

"Well it did go to Luke. He's lost his lightsaber three times since you fell into a coma."

Anakin glanced at his son with a raised eyebrow.

Luke flushed. "Er…it was an accident," he admitted.

"Your weapon is your life," Anakin said smirking. "Ha! I knew I would get to use that line on someone someday!"

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

Luke smiled.

"Kid, didn't ya break your lightsaber last week when it fell out of the Jedi Council spire in the Jedi Temple?" Han asked suddenly.

Luke scowled. "Did you have to mention that, Han?" he protested.

"Your weapon is your life," Obi-Wan said smiling. "I knew I would use that again someday."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Master," he said.

"Yes, I wonder about you as well, _Padawan._"

"I haven't been a Padawan for eighteen years!"

"Then why do you act like it?"

"I do not act like a Padawan."

"Sure you don't and I am not old."

"Well…"

"Don't even think about it, Anakin."

"But you are old! I mean, look at all that gray hair."

"I got this gray hair _because _of you, Anakin."

"Did not!"

"Same old Anakin."

Anakin smirked. "Did you honestly think staring death straight in the eye and returning to the living would change me?" he asked.

"Honestly, yes I did."

"What was it like, Father? Staring death straight in the eye?" Luke asked.

Anakin was silent for a long moment. "That is something for me to know and for you to find out in the future, hopefully several years from now," he said finally.

Luke gazed at his father before nodding slowly in reply.

Anakin smiled before he gazed at his family and friends for a long moment. "You know what I want to do now?" he asked.

"What?" Leia asked.

"Joy ride across Coruscant," Anakin said happily.

Luke grinned. "I'm in!" he replied happily.

Obi-Wan sighed before rolling his eyes skyward and saying, "Like father like son."

* * *

**-The End-**

**a/n what do you think?**

**Blaze: that's it. No sequel, zip, nada, nothing. This is the end**

**Darth: cool**

**Blaze: (laughs) please review and I really do hope that you enjoyed this story and reviews, as always, much appreciated.**


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